Newcastle star Allan Saint-Maximin has insisted he has ‘no problem with Steve Bruce’ but says he feels ‘great’, despite the club saying he is suffering from the issues of ‘long term Covid.’
Saint-Maximin put fans in the picture after making the unusual decision to speak to supporters directly via his own social media platform with the use of an Instagram live Q&A.
Talk had started to gather pace after the skillful winger was absent from the team set up, with suggestions of a possible bust up with team captain Jamaal Lascelles. Saint-Maximin however did not suggest this was the case.
Speaking to fans via Instagram live Allan Saint-Maximin says he has no problem with Steve Bruce, but says he feels ‘great’ despite his manager saying he was suffering from Covid effects
The 23-year-old spoke out on his manager Steve Bruce and told fans ‘I love this trainer a lot’
Frenchman Saint-Maximin clearly wanted to set the record straight, but did not once mention Covid-19 during his brief interchange with fans online.
The 23-year-old has stressed he loves his life in England and feels great right now, while outlining his affection for Bruce.
Speaking directly to supporters who began pouring their question via Instagram, Saint-Maximin said: ‘I feel great. I have no problem, nothing. Not injured.
‘[I have] No problem with the club, with Steve Bruce. I love the club, I love the fans. I love everything, I love my life in England and everything and I feel great. That is the only thing you have to know.
‘No, I have no problem with Steve Bruce, no problem. I love this trainer a lot and he takes care of me so I have no problem with Steve Bruce,’ he added.
Bruce had revealed on Friday that he was concerned for the health of two of his squad, but he did not name them.
However, the club later confirmed the identity of Lascelles and Saint-Maximin after internet rumours of the pair being involved in a bust-up with Bruce circulated over the weekend.
Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles (L) is another star at club suffering from long-term Covid
Rumours had spread regarding an alleged bust up with Lascelles and Saint-Maximin but the club deny this, and it was not mentioned during the winger’s online chat with supporters
Saint-Maximin posted this picture on Instagram on Monday after the news first emerged
Lascelles, pictured with partner Harpinder Rai, hasn’t played for the Magpies since November
Newcastle strongly stated this was not the case and their recent absence is explained by the after-effects of coronavirus, following a mass outbreak in the squad which recently saw a Premier League fixture with Aston Villa postponed.
Bruce had said: ‘My thoughts are with the two players, and the welfare of them. It’s frightening when you think they are young and fit and absolutely supreme athletes. If anybody needs reminding of how serious this is, then we have witnessed it.
‘We’ve had vomiting, sores, mouth ulcers, no smell, no taste, but the big thing, and which is worrying, is the welfare of one or two of them. It’s not great at all.
‘That long-term Covid is something which you wouldn’t think possible in young, fit athletes. Unfortunately, it is so.
Steve Bruce said the infected players cannot walk for 30 mins without going back to bed
‘They go for a walk for half an hour and then they want to go back to bed.. It’s as brutal as that.’
Lascelles was at St James’ Park to watch Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham but he, like Saint-Maximin, will miss Tuesday night’s EFL Cup quarter-final at Brentford. They are not expected to return until the New Year.
Victory would take Newcastle into their first League Cup semi-final for 44 years. Bruce continues to take criticism from supporters unhappy with performances, but he said: ‘I always expected it to be tough. Why wouldn’t it be when I have people like Graeme Souness and Kenny [Dalglish] ringing to tell me how tough it is?
‘Do I just think I’m going to come in here and wave a magic wand and say, ‘I’m going to put my sprinkle of stardust on it’? That’s what it is, it’s a tough gig, so if I can take the club to a semi-final… but then you want to get to the final.’
Bruce, though, has not been impressed with recent displays, the Fulham draw coming on the back of a 5-2 defeat at Leeds.
‘The one thing we are going to have to do is play better than we have done in the last week, and that’s the biggest concern,’ he said.
‘Look, I’ve worked with them long enough now and as I’ve said many times, they might lack a little bit of quality now and again and give the ball away too cheaply at times, but the one thing you can’t level at them is their attitude to stay with it.’
Fans wished the Newcastle pair well following the news they are still suffering from Covid-19
Saint-Maximin, who joined Newcastle from French side Nice last year, is a father of three
Lascelles, pictured with his parents Tim (right) and Jill (centre) back in 2017, has been at Newcastle for six years
The most common long Covid symptoms include fatigue, a persistent cough, headaches and loss of taste and smell
An Office for National Statistics report suggests 9.9 per cent of Brits who beat coronavirus still suffer from the lasting effects of the disease 12 weeks later
Meanwhile, Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes Ivan Toney will want to prove Newcastle wrong when they meet in Tuesday night’s clash.
The 24-year-old made just four appearances in three years for the Premier League side before dropping down the divisions. After joining Brentford from Peterborough this summer, however, he is the Championship’s top scorer with 16 goals in 20 appearances.
‘There are always situations in all of our careers that inspired us or irritates us enough to make sure we’re working hard every single day to try to prove some people wrong,’ Frank said. ‘I know Ivan has big ambitions and of course he’d like to prove he could have played in the Premier League.
‘He’ll play in the Premier League one way or another in the future, I’m not in doubt about that – with his mentality and hunger and abilities. But maybe this was the route for him.’
Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes Ivan Toney will be eager to prove Newcastle wrong