Injuries have proven frustrating for Newcastle United all season.
Though the likes of Alan Shearer have stopped short of blaming the fatigue having to rely on so few players causes as the sole reason for Newcastle’s current malaise, it surely cannot be ignored.
Tiredness does not excuse players of poor performances but, looking at the likes of Anthony Gordon against Liverpool on Monday night, it would perhaps be foolish to dismiss it out of hand.
Still, it’s undoubtedly frustrating to see players constantly ruled out.
Which brings us to Callum Wilson.
The striker – as has been the case for most of his time at St James’ Park – has again suffered an injury and will miss the FA Cup clash with Sunderland on Saturday.
It is the latest in a long line of injuries Wilson has suffered since joining the club in 2020 but West Ham’s Michail Antonio has moved to provide some perspective.
Callum Wilson injury: Michail Antonio verdict
Indeed, speaking on The Players Channel Podcast, Antonio said: “To be honest it’s one of those situations where you have to put yourself first before the team.
“He just got back from injury, he was out for four to six weeks. He went from being out to playing five straight games. 90 minutes.
“People will say you get paid to do it so you should be able to do it but no. You can’t go from zero to 100. It’s not a thing.
“So obviously he had loads of injuries, there is no other striker about, he put his body on the line for the team and it ended up breaking him down.
“People won’t see that, that’s the craziest thing about football. People won’t notice that. People will just be like he’s injured again.
“He’s injury prone. He’s this and that. But that’s not the situation. The fact he has gone out there and put himself out there, 90 minutes flat, after being out for six weeks and he’s ended up breaking down because his body is saying you have done too much.
“He should have taken a seat a bit earlier.”
Callum Wilson injury news: More Newcastle frustration
Wilson boasts a proud record in front of goal for Newcastle, having bagged 46 times in 102 appearances while also recording 11 assists. Of his goals (per Transfermarkt), 10 of them have directly led to Newcastle winning three points in the Premier League.
30 points for a reported £20m is certainly decent value but the injuries cannot be ignored.
Since signing, the 31-year-old has missed 69 games due to various issues. Clearly, there’s little he can do about that and he did arrive having already suffered two serious knee problems but it’s still hugely frustrating.
It can be of little surprise that the club are reportedly in the market for a new forward.
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