NEWCASTLE face a potential injury crisis ahead of their visit to Saints in the New Year after talisman Allan Saint-Maximin and goalscorer Callum Wilson were forced off the field with concerns.

The pair had to make way during the second-half of Magpies’ 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Monday.

Former Bournemouth Wilson striker has scored six goals in 15 Premier League matches this campaign, while Saint-Maximin netted his fourth of the campaign versus United. 

Eddie Howe’s relegation-threatened side face Ralph Hasenhuttl’s on January 2 2022, but the new boss fears that they could be unavailable to play under Premier League rules.

“I believe it’s 13 plus a goalkeeper (to have to play), we’re going to be dangerously close to that number,” Howe told Sky Sports, after the match.

“We just need to count the cost of tonight and see where we are. We need to count the bodies up, and see if we can get enough to play the game.

“Callum's injury doesn’t look good,” he admitted. “I don’t what the extent of the injury is but the way he went down, I feared the worst for him.

“He thought he’d been kicked which is why he tried to get up and run it off, which he wasn’t able to do.

"Allan Saint-Maximin doesn’t look as bad but it was bad enough that we had to take him off."