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‘For me, if he’s not available at some point, it’s a disaster’: Eddie Howe laments Allan Saint-Maximin’s injury woes as Newcastle manager insists he remains ‘a huge player’ for club and Won’t be a substitute for impact when in shape
- Allan Saint-Maximin hasn’t started a game for Newcastle since August
- Despite being in shape since October, he has only had cameos from the bench
- The Magpies have won their last five in the Premier League without him starting
Eddie Howe says it’s still a “disaster” when Allan Saint-Maximin is absent at Newcastle and insists he is now not confined to the role of impact substitute.
The Magpies have won their last five in the Premier League without the winger in the side and he has not started since picking up a hamstring at Wolves in August.
It used to be the case with Steve Bruce that Newcastle couldn’t do without the Frenchman, but despite being fit since October, he’s only had cameos off the bench.
Eddie Howe (R) says it’s still a ‘disaster’ when Allan Saint-Maximin is missing for Newcastle
However, Howe says Saint-Maximin is still an integral part of his plans. When asked that the 25-year-old’s absence was a disaster not long ago, the coach said: ‘For me, if he’s not available at some point, it’s a disaster, because he’s unique and has those skills against that any defender does not want to play.
Maxi is a great player for us. You saw that as soon as he entered the field against Bournemouth (in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win), he has that ability to put his opponent in the back line. For me, he is the best dribbler in the Premier League and you need that in your team.
‘Now, we’re just rebuilding him in terms of fitness to get him back to his best levels. Being the player that he is, he needs to be able to repeatedly run at high levels.
“He is going in the right direction and he is a key player for us. He is a real character and we love him for it. He has a very nice personality, it is very good to work with him.
Howe added: ‘Now the team has performed very well in his absence, which has been a great thing. Ideally, you don’t want to become dependent on any one player; if so, then you are putting yourself in a very difficult position. Our goal is to try to build a team that is strong and robust enough so that we can cope with any absence.”
Howe says Saint-Maximin remains an integral part of his plans for Newcastle going forward.
Howe rejects the notion that the 25-year-old will perform better off the bench, but accepts that the impact substitute role will become more frequent given the arrival of five changes.
“The players don’t necessarily see that role as something they want to do on a regular basis,” said Howe, whose third-placed team travels to Leicester today. That is the mentality of the players.
Every player wants to start and play 90 minutes. But you’re looking for players who can impact when you make changes. It has largely become a team game.
“I think specialists in certain actions, whether it’s coming off the bench or starting a game for an hour, will become more relevant.” Could it be that Saint-Maximin? “I certainly wouldn’t be having that conversation with Allan,” Howe said. “He’s absolutely not in that role, he’s a key player early on, when he’s 100 percent.”
“But yeah, with other players, if you get someone in that position, you would have to be open and honest and discuss their role.” If you have the right personality, that can work.