4 Newcastle United loan players now long-term injured

A quartet of Newcastle United loan players have all had setbacks.

After helping Sheffield United to what now looks all but certain promotion (second in the Championship and 11 points clear of third with 19 games to go), Ciaran Clark is now ruled out once again for an indeterminate time due to a recurrence of his hamstring problems.

Meanwhile another Newcastle United defender, Kell Watts, has also picked up a hamstring injury. He has helped Peterborough into seventh place in League One, two points off the play-offs, but will now be out for months after the training ground injury.

Matty Longstaff is now back on Tyneside having suffered an ACL injry, his loan spell with Colchester United now effectively at an end as he won’t play again this season.

Isaac Hayden completes the quartet. He had knee surgery in December 2021 when with Newcastle United, then yet another procedure on his knee in the summer after joining Norwich and before even playing a competitive game of his loan season.

Now the Newcastle / Norwich midfielder is having a third attempt at tackling the injury, after it became impossible to carry on playing. Hayden releasing the statement below earlier this month.

Good luck to all four of them in their recoveries.

Isaac Hayden released this personal statement on 4 January 2023 about his latest injury nightmare:

“Unfortunately I didn’t want to be talking about injury again but it’s part of the game.

“Ever since coming back from the last injury it’s not been 100 per cent fixed.

“Having to aspirate my knee of 50-60ml of fluid every 3 days to be available for games, training twice a week in order for my knee not to swell to the point I couldn’t play on a match day.

“it’s been a soul destroying feeling not being able to play like the player I was a year ago and the player ultimately the club signed, but nobody more so than myself is frustrated at the cards I’ve been dealt since joining Norwich City FC on loan.

“Nobody could have foreseen it or predicated it but that’s football at it’s most ruthless.

 “I accept criticism of my performances in games from media / fans etc I’m big enough to take it, but when people question my character / mentality, or if I want to be at the football club and give my all to it I will not accept that.

“The extent myself and the medical staff have been to over the last few months to get me simply available, has been above and beyond.

“However, medically and ethically I had to stop as of the weekend as it was no longer sustainable.

“I just want to thank Mr Tim Spalding for the procedure today to fix the long term problem.

“I look forward to working with the new management staff the club employ and focusing on trying to achieve the aim of promotion which is still very much possible.

“See you soon.”