During a season of relentless injury problems for Newcastle United, one more player had to play through the pain barrier on Sunday according to Dan Burn.
Newcastle United knew that a win against Brentford would give them hope of qualifying for Europe, and they did exactly that. The Magpies won 4-2 thanks to some blistering performances, with Bruno Guimaraes probably the man of the match.
Joelinton also excelled on his first Toon start since January, while it was great to have Nick Pope in between the sticks after his shoulder injury.
Having those two players back after such lengthy absences was pivotal, and it is just a shame they were not fit enough to start sooner. Injuries have turned this season into a case of ‘what if’, while so many Toon players have had to play despite knowing they were not 100%.
And that appears to be what Fabian Schar did against Brentford, according to Dan Burn.
Dan Burn blown away by what Fabian Schar did against Brentford
Burn, who was captain again on Sunday after Kieran Trippier dropped to the bench, spoke to the Athletic about Newcastle’s final day win over Brentford.
He addressed Fabian Schar’s return to the starting XI, with the 32-year-old returning sooner than anticipated from a hamstring injury. There were fears that his season was over, but he was able to play a part in Newcastle’s final two games – even though he maybe should not have.
“[He] probably shouldn’t have played,” Burn said.
“But he puts his body on the line for the team.
“Character-wise, it’s got to be one of the best squads I’ve played in. Just to keep going.”
Whether Fabian Schar has gone to Australia with Newcastle United
It was great to have Schar back in the starting XI against Brentford, and it helped Newcastle pick up a vital three points. If Eddie Howe’s side had not won, they would have finished eighth and missed out on Europe completely.
That is still a possibility, with Newcastle waiting to see who wins the FA Cup next weekend. If it is Manchester City, that means Toon fans can get their passports out again as their club has qualified for the Europa Conference League.
In the meantime, Eddie Howe and his players are off to Australia. But after playing through the pain barrier on Sunday, Schar is not going down under.
The other Newcastle players who have not travelled
The £3million defender is one of multiple first-team players who have not been named in the squad for the post-season friendlies against Tottenham Hotspur and the A-League All Stars.
After the win over Brentford, Howe confirmed that Anthony Gordon will not be making the long journey to Australia. Other players who have not made the trip include Martin Dubravka, Sean Longstaff and Tino Livramento. Sandro Tonali has not travelled either, with the suspended midfielder not allowed to play in friendlies that are held in front of crowds.
Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Joe Willock and Lewis Miley have also not travelled, as they continue their respective recoveries from injury.
European Championship on the horizon for Schar
For Schar, he went the extra mile on Sunday. He played when he probably should not have, and it helped Newcastle pick up a pivotal three points.
Hopefully the decision for him not to go to Australia was pre-planned, rather than him suffering further damage to rule him out of the trip. The concern is not because the Magpies need him for these friendlies, though.
Instead, the worry is that Schar has the Euros with Switzerland coming up. He will hope to be in the squad, so should hopefully benefit from a bit of rest while his Toon teammates compete in Australia.
The same goes for Gordon, who deserves a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad but is suddenly suffering from injury. Fingers crossed he shakes it off soon and goes to Germany with the Three Lions.
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