Newcastle United’s top four rivals dealt major injury blow as hectic fixture schedule is questioned

One of Newcastle United’s main rivals for a top four place have been dealt a major injury blow as the season approaches a hectic period.

Manchester United temporarily leapfrogged Eddie Howe’s side to take third place in the Premier League table as Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial both scored in their 2-0 home win against Everton on Saturday lunchtime. Despite that win boosting their hopes of claiming a top four place and a return to the Champions League, the 13-time Premier League champions were left to rue an injury to England forward Marcus Rashford after he pulled up when stretching for a pass with just over ten minutes remaining at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will now await news over the fitness of the in-form forward as they prepare for a run of six games in 17 days before the end of the month. Speaking after Saturday’s home win against the Toffees, Ten Hag revealed the outlook for Rashford after he limped out of the action and believes his players have been put at risk by their hectic fixture schedule.

He said: “We have to wait, how bad or how good it is. Obviously he went off with a complaint, now we have to wait, set a diagnosis and we will see. Some things you can’t avoid but it was avoidable. Why is the Premier League giving us the late Sunday night game and giving us the early Saturday game? I think it’s not right.

“You run the risk, the players can’t recover that quickly, we know all research that players need a certain period to recover and it accumulates. So then you run even more of a risk. It’s also part of the schedule that we now find ourselves in this situation and now we can only pray he is not dropping off.”