Injury expert laments ‘nasty’ Willock update as £25m Newcastle star in winter fitness battle
It is imperative that Newcastle United steer Joe Willock towards full fitness before the congested winter period.
So says injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in medicine and data analysis.
As quoted by Chronicle Live on 23 October, stand-in boss Graeme Jones revealed that Willock “has been getting an injection in his toe”.
The 22-year-old midfielder has also struggled with a hip problem since he signed from Arsenal in a £25million deal in the summer.
Willock started on the bench in Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on 23 October before he was introduced with 25 minutes to play.
Dinnery explained that using injections to play through the pain barrier could affect Willock’s in-game sharpness.
“It’s not ideal for Willock,” he told Football Insider correspondent Adam Williams.
“Ideally, you want to be okay, 100 per cent going out onto the pitch and concentrating on the task in front of you.
“But there are certain injuries that you aren’t going to exacerbate by playing on and you just need to manage the pain.
“We’re looking at a toe sprain which is nasty and painful but is something that can be managed.
“Being ready for a Saturday with these injections might come at the detriment of getting some time on the training pitch.
“We are always talking about marginal gains and you need to be in peak physical condition. Willock isn’t quite there.
“He is probably around that 70 to 80 per cent mark. They need to manage the player now so he is fully fit when the fixtures are coming thick and fast.
“When you’re playing two or three games over a week-long period in winter, that’s when these little niggles tend to show themselves.”
In other news, Newcastle United plot January move for James Ward-Prowse after Aston Villa bid rejected.