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The Newcastle United player who is now at risk of never playing for the club again
James Rutherford
3 – 4 minutes
Newcastle United have made some key contract decisions, but still have multiple players whose futures are up in the air.
It was announced on Thursday evening that Emil Krafth and Martin Dubravka have signed contract extensions with Newcastle United.
Elsewhere, Fabian Schar is close to a new Newcastle deal. It is vital that the 33-year-old remains on Tyneside, so it is encouraging to hear that progress is being made with regards to his future.
However, the situation involving Jamaal Lascelles is much more uncertain.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
The Newcastle United club captain is approaching almost a year out injured. He suffered an ACL injury during Newcastle’s 4-3 win over West Ham on March 30th 2024 and has not played since.
It was hoped that Lascelles would be back by March, but that no longer appears likely.
Ahead of Newcastle United’s game against Nottingham Forest, Eddie Howe provided an injury update on Lascelles.
“Jamaal is continuing to work, I think he was the last player to leave, he works extraordinary long hours, he was here until 5pm yesterday,” he said.
“He is as dedicated a player as you will see, he has had various problems. He has had setbacks, nothing major, but little moments that have knocked back his recovery.
“He has been on the grass and been training individually with physios. He has not gone beyond that stage yet. He is in a pretty good place, we are probably looking towards the end of the season as a return date.”
Time running out for Jamaal Lascelles at Newcastle United
While it is encouraging to hear that Lascelles is in a ‘good place’ and has a return date on the horizon, it is concerning that he might not be fit until the business end of the season.
While the additional depth will delight Howe, it is difficult to see how Lascelles will get in the team.
In an ideal world, Newcastle United will still be challenging for a place in the Champions League towards the end of the season. A combination of Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Sven Botman will be at centre-back, as the Magpies aim to return to Europe’s elite competition.
With so much potentially on the line, there is a chance that Howe might not actually be able to play Lascelles. And that is a worry, because his contract expires at the end of the season.
That means he is at risk of never playing for Newcastle United again, which feels cruel for a player who has given the club so much.
Hopefully that is not the case and Lascelles is able to wear the black and white stripes again. He has been an outstanding leader during his time at St James’ Park, and it would be sad to see his time on Tyneside end without a proper goodbye.
It remains to be seen if the 31-year-old will be offered a contract extension. At this moment in time, he is on course to become a free agent this summer.
