Marcelo Bielsa gives updates on Patrick Bamford, Adam Forshaw, Junior Firpo, Joe Gelhardt and Tyler Roberts

Bamford has endured a tough time on the injury front this term after initially suffering an ankle injury in the reverse fixture at St James’ Park last September.

After missing most of the autumn programme, the forward briefly returned to the side, only to suffer a separate hamstring issue against Brentford in December.

Having shrugged off that particular problem, Bamford has now picked up a separate issue to further delay his first appearance in 2022.

Adam Forshaw and Junior Firpo (both hamstring) will also be missing for the Newcastle fixture alongside Kalvin Phillips and Liam Cooper, but better news sees the return to the fray of Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Joe Gelhardt.

Diego Llorente returns from suspension.

Bielsa said: "Forshaw and Firpo both have muscular injuries. Bamford has a new injury at the bottom of his foot. He has overcome muscular problems, but now he has an issue at the bottom of his foot..

“It is likely for the game at the weekend that we will count on Tyler Roberts, Joe Gelhardt and Rodrigo Moreno.”

Questioned whether it is the worst run of injuries for a side that he can remember in his time in management, he added: “Not with so many players, but it is very intriguing.

“Not so much how many injuries, but that the players who are injured are those who play in similar positions.

In some way, we’ve always found solutions. It’s likely that for the game on the weekend that we’re going to recover Rodrigo, Roberts and Gelhardt. So the players out of the squad in that position are going to be Patrick Bamford and Sam Greenwood.

Progressively, we have been resolving the situations that present themselves. The same with the absence of Pascal (Struijk), Cooper, Diego (Llorente) and (Robin) Koch.

“We’ve been resolving them with the contribution of Ayling as a centre-back and Koch as a defensive mid when he has been healthy, Forshaw as a defensive mid. It’s also true that all the clubs have problems with counting on all of their players.