Steve Bruce has dropped an injury blow before Newcastle United travel to Leicester City in the Premier League.
The Lowdown: Newcastle are virtually safe
The St. James' Park faithful are virtually safe from dropping down from the top flight down to the EFL Championship.
They currently sit nine points above the relegation zone with just four games left to play (Sky Sports), and so while it is not mathematically impossible that they could still go down, it would take a huge ask from both Fulham and West Brom.
With this in mind, it may be an opportunity for Bruce to give some minutes to some of his fringe players or bed some youngsters in, but he will not have Elliot Anderson available for the visit to the Foxes.
The Latest: Anderson injured for Newcastle
Speaking in his pre-game press conference before the match against Brendan Rodgers' men, Bruce confirmed with regards to Anderson (via The Chronicle):
“He picked up a knock in the last game he played and it’s set him back a little bit.
"We’re not sure how bad it is but it’s a hip problem.
"He’s going to be struggling for the next couple of weeks."
This rules him out of the match against LCFC and potentially also their next two fixtures against both Manchester City and Sheffield United respectively, seemingly ruining his chances of a late chance to strut his stuff before the summer.
The Verdict: Anderson injury a big blow
Anderson is a promising talent, having already made his breakthrough in the team this season at the tender age of just 18, and with potentially nothing to play for, these next matches could have allowed him to get a run in the side.
Nonetheless, the midfield player will have to try and work his way back to full fitness so that he can hopefully make another appearance before the campaign finishes, otherwise it will be over to the pre-season period for him to show Bruce he has what it takes.