Steve Bruce is pinning his hopes on Covid returnee Allan Saint-Maximin getting Newcastle out of a relegation hole as fans protested outside St. James' Park after another defeat at Aston Villa last night.
Saint-Maximin, who has suffered the after-effects of the virus more than any other Premier League player, tasted his first action since November as a late substitute in Newcastle's 2-0 defeat extended their miserable scoring run to one goal in eight league games.
'We looked more of a threat with Allan and Ryan (Fraser) on the pitch. That is the encouraging thing for me,' said Bruce, whose side haven't won in 10 games in all competitions.