Newcastle boss Eddie Howe reveals the ‘message’ he got about Fabian Schar after injury vs Barcelona

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Fabian Schar was taken off with a suspected concussion during Newcastle United’s defeat against Barcelona on Thursday night.

It was a special evening on Tyneside, even if the result did not go the Magpies’ way.

Newcastle United lost 2-1 to Barcelona in the opening game of the Champions League campaign, with Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford coming back to haunt the club he scored against in the Carabao Cup two years ago.

Anthony Gordon gave the fans something to cheer about towards the end of the game, with his first goal in over 20 appearances, but it was not enough to secure a point on the day.

Despite that, Eddie Howe can take some positives from the game. Anthony Elanga looked great on the right wing, showing glimpses of the £55m player Newcastle signed in the summer. Elsewhere, Malick Thiaw enjoyed a great cameo after coming on for Fabian Schar.

There was some concern for Schar, who appeared to have a delayed reaction to the ball hitting him in the face from close distance. He was forced off just a few minutes after the incident, but many were left wondering why it was not sooner. In his post-match press conference, Howe explained the decision to keep him on.

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Doctors told Eddie Howe that Fabian Schar was ok to continue

It is the second time Schar has suffered a head injury in the last few weeks. The defender also went down and was forced off after a clash of heads during Newcastle’s defeat to Liverpool in August.

If Schar has suffered a concussion, then he could miss up to two weeks of action for the Magpies, a blow for Howe who is a big fan of the defender.

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Some fans called for Schar to be taken off immediately after his knock. Replays showed Schar going down in a manner which looked as though he had been knocked out, but in his press conference, Howe revealed that he thought the Swiss international was ok to continue.

“I’ve got no information on you there. It’s in the hands of the doctors at that moment,” he said.

“The only message I got was that he was ok to continue, and I don’t really know any more other than that.”

Eddie Howe has options to replace Fabian Schar after his head injury

Schar will likely miss Newcastle’s trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, a game where his experience would be ideal given how much Howe seems to struggle against his former club.

However, the 47-year-old is not short of options to replace him. Thiaw was brought on in Schar’s place to play out the last half hour or so, and the feeling is that he will most likely start alongside Dan Burn on Sunday.

Additionally, Sven Botman kept things calm at the back after he came on towards the end of the game for Kieran Trippier. The Dutchman has already played three games this season, with his only start coming against Leeds United.

Failing that, Howe can look to use one of Jamaal Lascelles or Emil Krafth in his team, though the chances of that happening are slim. Whoever Howe goes for, there is no doubt that playing Bournemouth away is a huge test for them.