Allan Saint-Maximin has declared “I have no problem with Steve Bruce” after rumours

Allan Saint-Maximin has been making the headlines on Monday.

Sadly though, no imminent return announced as yet for when he will return to training, never mind when we might see him playing competitive football once again.

His last match was 30 days ago when playing 74 minutes of the 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.

To a background of wild speculation as to why he has been missing, it was finally confirmed today that Allan Saint-Maximin has had the virus and is taking some time to get over it, along with Jamaal Lascelles. Steve Bruce having previously mentioned on a number of occasions that he had some players who were taking a long time to recover.

Amongst the rumours that had been circulating, they had included a major fallout with Steve Bruce, a January transfer to another club coming up, major injury (not illness), as well as claims he had left Tyneside and returned to France.

However, on Monday Allan Saint-Maximin has replied to those rumours via Instagram, declaring: ‘I have no problem with Steve Bruce, the club or the fans.’

A rumour that can’t be denied, is that Newcastle United look far better with a fully firing Allan Saint-Maximin in the team.

OVERALL TOTALS AT NUFC WITH ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN STARTING:

Played 31 Won 13 Drawn 7 Lost 11 Points 46 Goals For 38 Goals Against 41

OVERALL TOTALS AT NUFC WITHOUT ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN STARTING:

Played 20 Won 3 Drawn 7 Lost 10 Points 16 Goals For 17 Goals Against 39

As you can see, massive differences in every area.

With Allan Saint-Maximin starting in Premier League matches, Newcastle United average per match – 1.48 points, 1.23 goals for, 1.32 goals against.

Without Allan Saint-Maximin starting in Premier League matches, Newcastle United average per match – 0.80 points, 0.85 goals for, 1.95 goals against.

Until that Crystal Palace away match 24 days ago, Steve Bruce had only won one Premier League match when Allan Saint-Maximin hadn’t started, ironically, exactly a year ago today when Miguel Almiron scored his first ever Premier League goal for Newcastle to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at St James Park.

However, scrambled late wins against Palace and West Brom have hardly been convincing and certainly no suggestion that there is any great Steve Bruce attacking plan, other than giving the ball to Allan Saint-Maximin, when he is playing…

Even with those two recent victories, it is still a case of only three wins in 20 Premier League games when ASM hasn’t started, compared to 13 in 31 when Allan Saint-Maximin has been in the starting eleven.

Newcastle United now head into a key period of matches where they play (hopefully!) seven games only 21 days apart, starting with Brentford away on Tuesday night and Sheffield United away on 12 January (match schedule below).

As things stand, these matches will have to be tackled without Allan Saint-Maximin – FA Cup third round at Arsenal, League Cup quarter-final at Brentford and (hopefully) a League Cup semi-final, plus a daunting trio of PL matches against Man City, Liverpool and Leicester, followed by what could well look by then a relegation six pointer against Sheffield United.

Newcastle United need other players to step up in the likely prolonged absence of Allan Saint-Maximin and score and create goals, not just Callum Wilson, the centre-forward having scored eight and got three assists from the 16 PL goals Newcastle have scored (Man Utd also scored an own goal).

Tuesday 22 December

Brentford v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 26 December

Man City v Newcastle (8pm) BT Sport

Wednesday 30 December

Liverpool v Newcastle (8pm) – Amazon Prime 

Sunday 3 January 

Newcastle v Leicester (2.15pm) Sky Sports

Tuesday 5 January / Wednesday 6 January

***If Newcastle beat Brentford, their League Cup semi-final would be played on one of these nights.

Saturday 9 January 

Arsenal v Newcastle (FA Cup third round) – (5.30pm) BBC1

Tuesday 12 January 

Sheffield Utd v Newcastle(6pm) Sky Sports

Monday 18 January 

Arsenal v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports

Weekend of Saturday 23 January

FA Cup fourth round weekend

Tuesday 26 January

Newcastle v Leeds (6pm) BT Sport

Saturday 30 January 

Everton v Newcastle (12.30pm) BT Sport