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Callum Wilson says he’s not going to take any risks now with injuries

1 year ago
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Callum Wilson was a surprise absentee at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Having started the previous six Newcastle United matches (where Eddie Howe played his strongest available eleven, not including Sheff Wed when eight changes made), the NUFC number nine replaced by Alexander Isak.

Quite incredible how little the Newcastle United journalists ever find out, as like the rest of us, they found out only an hour before kick-off that Callum Wilson hadn’t even travelled to the south coast, never mind whether he was in the team or not!

Eddie Howe saying after that draw at Bournemouth that it was only a minor hamstring issue and he was hoping Wilson would be back for Liverpool this Saturday.

Callum Wilson on The Footballer’s Football Podcast, having missed the Bournemouth match – 15 February 2023:

“I was burning inside to go back there (to Bournemouth).

“To a club that has been so good to me.

“But then in training I felt some tightness.

“That can happen when you are working hard.

“We had worked hard in previous games and we train hard too, similar to how we play.

“I can’t take any risks any more.

“Too often I have been 80 per cent fit, declared myself available to play…

“Then ended up pulling up with something after 20 minutes.

“I am not going to cross that bridge again.”

To be fair to Eddie Howe, he has always appeared to look after his players, no unnecessary risks with recovering from injury players, unlike a certain former NUFC Head Coach…

The club published their usual weekly training images yesterday (Wednesday 15 February) and whilst it was great news to see both Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron in group training (as well as Jamaal Lascelles and Javier Manquillo who weren’t in the matchday squad last Saturday) who were subbed after appearing to pick up injuries against Bournemouth. No sign of Callum Wilson.

Occasionally the club clearly deliberately don’t show certain players in the training shots, just so the upcoming opposition are kept guessing, fair to say that Callum Wilson is surely a major doubt when it comes to the starting eleven against Liverpool.

I have already seen a lot of Newcastle fans speculating that Wilson could / should be kept back for Man U in 10 days time and the odds must be on the side of that being the case. Personally, I think it will be bench at best for Callum Wilson at St James’ Park this Saturday.

As for that getting ever nearer cup final…Callum Wilson says taking risks when feeling only 80 per cent ok, is a thing of the past. Well, when it comes to a player who has never won a major trophy and a club that hasn’t done so for 54 years, does that change the willing to take the risk factor?

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