Matt Ritchie injury actually gives Steve Bruce and Newcastle options

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Steve Bruce confirmed that Matt Ritchie will be sidelined for up to two months with the leg injury sustained in Newcastle’s Carabao Cup tie, after a terrible tackle from Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury.

The Newcastle manager told the Chronicle that Ritchie “is in a mess” and is actually lucky as “it could have been worse, six months”.

No doubt the Scot will be a huge miss, as his impact since switching to wing-back last season cannot be underestimated, but it could – bizarrely – present Bruce with an opportunity.

The new manager has had his tactics scrutinised constantly, and often cannot do right, for doing wrong, in some people’s eyes.

But with Ritchie out, and his like-for-like replacement, Jetro Willems, very doubtful with a hamstring problem – also picked up in Wednesday’s game – Bruce could use it as a justification for switching from the three centre-back formation he has favoured in the early weeks.

A home game against a Watford side with no points, could be the ideal time to implement a more attacking lineup, and with no proper wing-back option on the left flank, why not try it?

Christian Atsu could feature with Paul Dummett behind him

He has Christian Atsu who has played well during his substitute appearances and, as we wrote yesterday, gives Newcastle a great option from the bench. But Saturday could be the opportunity for him to show he can do it from the start.

What will undoubtedly help Atsu, is having the security of an orthodox left-back behind him, and in Paul Dummett, they could do just that.

It would mean employing a more traditional 4-4-2, or the 4-4-1-1 variation, and could see Newcastle really have a go at a nervous Watford, and take the game to them.

Often, out of adversity, comes opportunity, and Steve Bruce can change his team around this weekend, without having his decision second-guessed from 50,000 managers in the stands.

If it works, he he can receive the plaudits for changing it around, and go into the international break with fewer dissenting voices than there were two short weeks ago.