Jaissle’s injury hint and Bazoumana Toure update ahead of Aston Villa clash

Newcastle United have been handed a reality check on the fitness of four returning players, with Matthias Jaissle warning that Dan Burn, Amar Dedic, Joelinton and William Osula still need time to get back to full fitness.

The head coach also provided a brief update on Bazoumana Touré after the winger was forced off late in Monday night’s miserable 4-1 defeat at Coventry.

Jaissle’s update on Burn, Joelinton, Osula and Dedic 

Burn, Dedic, Joelinton and Osula all returned to action from the bench at Coventry, offering Newcastle a welcome boost after an injury-hit spell.

However, Jaissle has warned that the quartet remain short of full fitness, suggesting we should not necessarily expect wholesale changes for Saturday’s visit of Aston Villa.

“Unfortunately, the match minutes were really limited [for Burn, Dedic, Joelinton and Osula]. We need to be smart because we had so many injuries already, so we followed the advice.

“We took the guys to the limit of what they could do. I am happy that they are back but it will take another couple of weeks before they are physically back to their best again.”

The comments suggest Newcastle will continue to manage their workloads carefully, with Jaissle unwilling to risk further setbacks as he looks to get his squad back to full strength.

William Osula was also asked about specifically, with the Dane hoping to push for a starting place after making his return from injury.

However, the Newcastle boss stopped short of committing to a start against Villa, adding: 

“Again, this was the maximum of the match minutes that I could give him…we need to see how he is improving over the next few days and weeks.”

Brief update on Touré after late Coventry scare

Touré came on as a 59th-minute substitute at Coventry and showed glimpses of his undoubted pace down the right flank.

However, the winger was forced off in stoppage time after suffering a blow to his ankle near the touchline, with Dan Burn brought on in his place.

Jaissle was hopeful after the match that the problem was not serious, but admitted it was too early to know the full extent of the issue.

“Let’s see. It’s too early to say anything. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”

Touré is now expected to be assessed ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa, with Newcastle hoping the Ivorian has avoided another spell on the sidelines.