Slowly but surely, Allan Saint-Maximin was finding his feet under Eddie Howe.
The Frenchman started the season in fine fettle with a brilliant performance against Manchester City before scoring a fantastic late equaliser against Wolves.
Still, injuries then hampered his progress and the winger struggled to find the kind of form to have made him such a hero amongst supporters during the otherwise bleak Steve Bruce years.
So much so, in fact, that Saint-Maximin’s future as a Newcastle player has frequently been called into question.
Which is why his most recent injury problem is so frustrating.
Starting to find his form once more, the 26-year-old recorded assists against both Manchester United and West Ham before succumbing to a hamstring problem.
Saint-Maximin unlikely to play again this season
Now, that problem could end his season entirely.
Having missed the 4-1 win over Everton on Thursday, the chances of Saint-Maximin playing again between now and the end of the campaign reportedly look bleak.
Indeed, speaking ahead of Southampton’s game against Southampton, Howe confirmed Saint-Maximin may not feature again this season.
“I certainly hope he’ll be fit before the end of the season, but with hamstring injuries, there’s always that element of doubt,” he said (via Craig Hope).
Newcastle now have options to cover
In an ideal world of course, Saint-Maximin would be available for selection as the Magpies look to get over the line in the Champions League race.
Still, such is the confidence the squad are playing with at the moment, you’d trust any of the players chosen by Howe to step up.
Jacob Murphy has proven he can make a key difference, while Joe Willock and Joelinton combine excellently down the left. With Alexander Isak morphing into Thierry Henry on an increasing basis too, the kind of creativity Saint-Maximin brings is hardly missed quite as much.
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