Dan Burn is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after a horror injury in the Tyne-Wear derby, and Newcastle United fans are up in arms about one aspect of that key moment.
Newcastle United suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of local rivals Sunderland on Sunday, costing them three valuable points and bragging rights in the North East.
Should Nordi Mukiele have been sent off for his challenge on Dan Burn?
The Toon defender suffered a broken rib and a punctured lung 😳
The game also saw Dan Burn taken off injured, which we now know will see the Newcastle man sitting out for at least six weeks.
His absence will be felt, especially with only four fit senior defenders now left in the squad. Aside from those concerns, fans have vented their anger at one thing they spotted that happened in the aftermath of Burn’s injury.
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What were the Newcastle United medical team thinking?
Amid Craig Hope’s update on Twitter/X about the length of time Burn will be out for, multiple Newcastle fans replied questioning why the medical staff on the day allowed the defender to keep playing despite his serious injury.
One said: “And our medical team allowed him back on the pitch? Every man and his dog could see it was serious!”
Another wrote: “Medical staff allowed him to continue for five more minutes after this, not a good decision!”
A third added: “Thought the medical staff were supposed to be better now?”
Elsewhere, others commented, “He literally couldn’t breathe and they thought he could run it off,” and “He was clearly struggling to catch his breath. It’s for the experts to instruct the athlete.”
Another simply said: “I was screaming at the TV, ‘Get him off now!'”
However, there are some who had sympathy for the situation, with suggestions that maybe it was Burn himself who was pushing to remain on the pitch.
One said: “The medical team haven’t got X-ray eyes and no doubt big Dan Burn, the legend that he is, wanted to try and run it off.”
What was Eddie Howe’s BIGGEST mistake against Sunderland?
I've no idea why we were so deep, or why Elanga started!
What do Newcastle do in Dan Burn’s absence?
Eddie Howe has played up Burn’s importance to the team, and it’s a massive blow regardless of how many players are still fit or not at the club.
It means the backline pretty much picks itself now, with only Tino Livramento, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar, and Lewis Hall available. There is youngster Alex Murphy also in contention for a spot, which helps.
It may be that Newcastle shop for a new defender in January alongside their previous targets at full-back and central midfield.
Either way, for the next few games, Schar is going to have to step up and prove his worth once more. Hopefully, Newcastle can survive the festive period without feeling Burn’s absence too much.
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