According to the Daily Star, Ciaran Clark has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
The defender was involved in a collision with Bukayo Saka against Arsenal which forced him off. He ended up leaving the Emirates on crutches.
The report states that Clark has damaged his ankle ligaments, ending his season early.
This is a big blow for Newcastle.
Clark was enjoying a stellar season, arguably his best alongside the Championship campaign.
He came out of nowhere to become a mainstay in Steve Bruce’s defence, putting his body on the line week after week.
He even chipped in offensively, scoring in the wins against West Ham and Bournemouth.
However, his injury does hand Bruce an opportunity to make a change that fans want to see.
For the majority of the season, the Magpies have played with three centre-backs. The one time we changed was the drubbing away to Leicester.
However, our limitations offensively have been massively exposed in recent weeks. And that is largely down to negative tactics.
But with Clark out, that means Newcastle now only have four centre-backs available for the rest of campaign.
Sticking with a back five would be a huge risk, as it would mean only having one fit senior centre-back as backup.
Bruce now has all the more reason to change his system. It’s sad to see Clark’s season ended prematurely, but it could be a blessing in disguise.
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