Steve Bruce announces good news and bad news on Newcastle players available v Fulham

Steve Bruce watched on as Leeds eventually turned their clear superiority into goals on Wednesday night.

The final three goals may have arrived in the last 13 minutes but it was the very least the home side deserved after a dominant performance..

Saturday now sees Newcastle play a third promoted club in the space of eight days, with Fulham visiting St James Park.

The good news on Wednesday was that Ryan Fraser and Federico Fernandez were both back fit and available.

Now on Friday morning, Steve Bruce has confirmed that they and the rest of the Newcastle United players who faced Leeds, are all fine, with ‘no new injuries’ to report.

Steve Bruce pre-Fulham press conference:

“We have no new injury worries.

“We do though still have four or five missing through illness.

“For some of them it has had a damaging effect and it won’t be a week or two [before they are back], it will be longer than that.

“We hope there is light at the end of the tunnel but some are finding it a struggle.

“That is my concern, as they will have been struggling with it for a while.”

As well as long-term injured Dubravka and Dummett, the likes of Lascelles, Schar, Manquillo and Saint-Maximin were all still missing at Leeds.

So presumably the ‘four or five’ still ill, will come from this group of half a dozen.

I’m guessing that due to a combination of long-term injured and illness, all six of these Newcastle United players are set to be missing against Scott Parker’s team.

With the game at Brentford coming up on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see how much Steve Bruce prioritises that match, when naming his starting eleven on Saturday.

A busy schedule of matches lying ahead, potentially as many as 12 in the next 43 days.

Newcastle United upcoming matches:

Sat 19 December

Newcastle v Fulham (8pm) – Sky Sports

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