Anthony Elanga Injury Blow After Impressive Newcastle Start To The Season

After failing to impress when signed for £55M in last summer's window Anthony Elanga showed during the WC for Sweden and in pre-season for Newcastle that he could still be a player who might finally justify that high fee.

Elanga carried that form forward into the new season and made an excellent start under Matthias Jaissle, but in a blow to the manager, player and the team Newcastle United could now be without the winger for several weeks.

The 'mystery' injury which caused him to miss the game at Leeds has now apparently been confirmed as a hamstring, an injury that needs treatment, rest and careful management so that his return doesn't come too early and cause further damage.

The early prognosis suggests he could be sidelined for around six to eight weeks, although Newcastle are awaiting further assessment before the exact recovery period becomes clear.

How Well Has Elanga Started This Season?

The injury is particularly frustrating because Elanga had begun the Premier League season in excellent form with his blistering pace perfectly suiting Jaissle's system.

Elanga not only performed well, he also added goals to those performances becoming the first Newcastle player since Alan Shearer to score in our opening two PL games;

3 starts - 235 minutes - 2 goals - 0 assists

That's already a significant improvement after a difficult first season at Newcastle, when he struggled to make the attacking impact expected following his move from Nottingham Forest.

Although three games isn't enough to draw conclusions, what is beyond doubt is that his WC performances, goals and pre-season form had clearly got him buzzing and there was good reason to believe that he would be a big player for us this season.

Why Will Newcastle Miss Elanga?

Elanga's pace and direct running appear particularly well suited to Jaissle's style.

Newcastle want to win possession and attack quickly, and few players in the squad offer Elanga's ability to accelerate into space and carry the ball towards the opposition defence.

And, he hasn't just exploited space down the wing, what has been noticeable is that he has come inside and driven straight for goal from a more central position - that is clearly under instruction from Jaissle and is a threat the team rarely posed last season.

His absence was noticeable at Leeds and Jaissle must now decide how best to replace that threat on Newcastle's right.

Jacob Murphy is the obvious option, but he hasn't hit anywhere near the heights of the form he hit two seasons ago and many fans will feel it isn't a choice that is likely to prove an asset to the team.

Jaissle could also alter his attacking setup rather than attempt a like-for-like replacement and with a debate among fans as to how long MJ will stick with 4231 that option might be one the manager considers.

After scoring twice in his first three Premier League appearances, Elanga looked ready to make a much bigger impact this season.

Newcastle will be hoping his promising start has only been interrupted — rather than seriously derailed — by his unfortunate injury.

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