Injury expert Ben Dinnery has claimed that Newcastle United are making out Allan Saint-Maximin's injury is more serious than it actually is.
The Lowdown: Setback
Speaking to the media before the St. James' Park outfit's 1-0 win at home to Everton in the Premier League on Wednesday night, Eddie Howe confirmed that Saint-Maximin had suffered a third setback on a hamstring injury, and admitted that they may have to be careful with him with regards to his potential return.
Howe added that they 'hope' that he can play before the FIFA World Cup starts in Qatar in mid-November.
The Latest: Injury played down
Speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis, has suggested that the North East club are making Saint-Maximin's injury sound worse than it is, and fully expects that he will be involved before the World Cup:
“It’s easy to get caught up with the media narrative as to what’s going on.
“This latest issue is very minor. It’s more of an irritation than a full-blown tear or strain.
“Ordinarily it would be one where you would take him out of training and reduce his load for seven or ten days. Then they can reintroduce him.
“He’s already coming off the back of a hamstring problem where he has already suffered a decent reaction and reinjury. The club is being uber cautious in regard to this.
“I would fully expect Saint-Maximin to be involved before the World Cup. It’s one of those ones that they assess gameweek to gameweek.
“Hamstring problems have a high reoccurrence rate, particularly with the likes of Saint-Maximin with his style of play, the explosive pace and quick turns of direction. There is a lot of force going through his legs and that’s why they cannot afford any corner-cutting.
“It’s just the club being super cautious in his management.
“Clubs are very clever these days in terms of their PR. Under promise and over-deliver. Don’t put any pressure on the player’s timeframe.
“If you say it’s mid-November then if he returns within seven to 10 days then everyone’s happy. Supporters are hailing the medical department and calling Saint-Maximin a warrior and a robot. It’s a bit of a game.
“In terms of the injury itself, it’s nothing too serious.”
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The Verdict: Promising
Dinnery's verdict on Saint-Maximin's latest setback is certainly promising.
The winger made a brief comeback in the 5-1 win at home to Brentford earlier this month, but has not put a run of games together since August (Transfermarkt).
However, the prognosis does not seem as serious as him potentially being missing until after the World Cup, and so supporters should expect his return over the next few weeks.
Saint-Maximin remains a key player for the Magpies, ranking as their third-best performer in the top flight with one goal and two assists so far this season (WhoScored), and so there is hope that he can still play a part within the next few fixtures.