It was a shock to see Florian Lejeune back in the starting XI against Crystal Palace. It was the Frenchman’s first appearance since April, but he looked like he’d never been away.
He slotted into his usual position on the left of the centre-back trio, with Paul Dummett taking Jetro Willems’ place out wide. And while Dummett struggled to influence the game in the final third, he’ll have been slightly concerned by how good Lejeune looked on his return.
The 28-year-old hasn’t played since the last time Crystal Palace were at St James’ Park, going down with a knee injury after an innocuous challenge from Andros Townsend.
After eight months out of action, Lejeune slotted seamlessly back into his rhythm, proving why he’s been such a fan favourite since his 2017 arrival.
He was composed on the ball, which is something we’ve lacked in recent weeks. He didn’t put a foot wrong defensively either.
As we head into the busy winter period, Lejeune’s return is a welcome one, and fans were massively impressed with his first appearance under Steve Bruce.
Lejeune impresses fans on his return
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