The Anthony Elanga injury Newcastle feared could derail their season may not be as bad as first thought, with the winger potentially available for the trip to Coventry City, according to Chronicle Live. But Alan Shearer has made it clear that Jacob Murphy cannot wait for good news: he needs to step up now.
Newcastle were rocked earlier this week when Elanga picked up a training injury and was sent for an MRI scan. The 25-year-old had established himself as one of Matthias Jaissle’s key players in the early weeks of the new manager’s tenure, and his absence would have been a serious problem if it stretched to any length of time.
There is reason for optimism, though. Shields Gazette reports that the scan results appear to have brought good news, and Newcastle could have Elanga back for the Coventry City fixture. Jaissle himself signalled cautious hope when he sent the winger for the scan, telling reporters, Newcastle World reports: ‘we hope it’s not that serious.’
Anthony Elanga injury Newcastle: what Shearer said about the problem on the right flank
Before any scan results emerged, Shearer was already clear-eyed about the scale of the loss if Elanga were to miss a significant chunk of the season. Speaking to Betfair, he said: ‘Anthony Elanga has been like a new signing because we didn’t see anywhere near his potential last season at Newcastle after what we saw at Forest. He started really brightly after a promising World Cup, so it would be a blow, absolutely, because of what he offers Newcastle in terms of his pace.’
Elanga has backed that up with his performances. He scored after just four minutes against Liverpool, then added what Shearer called a brilliant second goal of the season against Tottenham Hotspur. The Swede has looked determined to put a disappointing first season on Tyneside firmly behind him.
Shearer continued: ‘He scored a brilliant goal at Spurs and scored against Liverpool too, so it will be a big blow if it is long-term.’
Murphy in the spotlight as Jaissle’s options are assessed
With Elanga sidelined, Jaissle has options on the right flank, but Murphy is the most obvious candidate. Shearer has not been shy about what he expects from him.
‘Jacob Murphy has been there for a while and knows what it is, but he is a different player to Elanga,’ Shearer said. ‘He’s the one that will have to step up. There’s a new manager and a different scenario. There was talk of him leaving this summer, but the manager wanted to keep him, so he will have to step up.’
Murphy did not take his opportunity on Monday night. His display against Leeds United was well below par in a performance that was largely poor across the board for Newcastle, with a 4-1 hammering delivering a sharp reality check after a promising start to the campaign.
Shearer was scathing in the immediate aftermath but has since softened his tone slightly. He still believes these moments were always coming.
‘Newcastle had a really promising start to the season, unbeaten before that game, and it was a reality check against Leeds,’ he said. ‘But I haven’t changed my mind one bit on Newcastle. I knew we would have these moments. Clearly, you can’t have too many of them because the performance the other night was unacceptable, terrible. They were outfought and bullied, so you can’t have too many of them in the season. But I did expect bumps in the road this season, and that was one of them.’
Shearer’s prediction remains a finish between 10th and 15th, and the Leeds defeat has not shifted that view. A potential early return for Elanga would take some of the pressure off Murphy, but Shearer’s message is unambiguous: availability is not the same as being first choice. Murphy needs to perform.