Newcastle United must learn lessons and be proactive over Callum Wilson’s future – the stats don’t lieCallum Wilson is injured. In other news, the grass remains green, today is Monday and the King speaks English.
Newcastle United’s number nine has been a loyal servant. For goodness sake, only Alan Shearer has bagged more Premier League goals for the Magpies than the former Bournemouth man.
He was brought in by Steve Bruce – after twisting Mike Ashley’s arm given his age – to guarantee safety. For a while, he did exactly that, but time has moved on – and all Wilson has brought to the table recently is setbacks.
His back is the latest muscle to fail him, with Eddie Howe confirming Wilson has seen a specialist. Playing any part in pre-season appears unlikely and there are doubts about him making the season opener against Southampton.
Pre-takeover, Wilson was indispensable but he is no longer the fulcrum of Newcastle’s attack – that tag belongs to Alexander Isak. A rotation policy at the back end of 2022-24 worked but his proneness to injuries has worsened.
Staggering Callum Wilson statistic
For context, Wilson’s latest setback is the 14th of his Newcastle career. He has missed a staggering 95 games – including 37 per cent of the Magpies’ top-flight fixtures since his 2020 arrival.
Which begs the question: is this the right time to cash in?
