Newcastle United FC Transfer News
Inside Steve Bruce's Press conference: Expectations on January low as United linked with 38 players
The Magpies boss is not focused too much on new signings and spent the Press conference counting fit bodies ahead of Wolves
Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce responded with a simple question when asked about injuries as he took his seat for his weekly Press conference at Benton.
With the treatment room close to bursting point in recent weeks, Bruce quipped: "How long have you got?"
But the reality is that the Magpies will look like a different side compared to the one that limped across the line at Rochdale just seven days ago.
Although some of Bruce's squad members weren't so lucky and will have to wait a little longer before they return.
In a week in which Newcastle have been linked with 38 players so far, it was injuries again that dominated Bruce's meeting with the media.
Two more players went down with knocks this week in Ki - who United want to sell - and Yoshinori Muto.
Bruce said: "It's ridiculous we're talking about injuries all the time.
"We've got two or three back but lost two or three. Ki and Muto have both got knocks, and we'll have to wait over (DeAndre) Yedlin too.
"There's light at the end of the tunnel, and I would expect the vast majority to be there or thereabouts by the end of next week."
But the one player that Newcastle fans will celebrate the return of is Allan Saint-Maximin.
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Bruce said: "Allan has trained the last two or there days, he's out on the grass but not ready."
The French winger is targeting the Chelsea clash next weekend to be back and Newcastle could look stronger by the time they line up in the Premier League again on Tyneside.
After an exhausting injury update, the talk then switched to transfers.
Newcastle - in Bruce's own words last weekend - had already been "knocked back" on some targets.
And if anything Bruce reverted to playing new signings down this week.
He added: "We have to have people who are going to come and improve us.
"If there's something available and there's a deal to be done, we'll try to do it. Simple as that."
Newcastle created plenty of excitement this time last year when landing Miguel Almiron from Atlanta United.
It was a move that won plenty of attention as a £16million deal was struck on the eve of the window.
Could there be anything like that this year? United have been linked with many players, with RB Leipzig's Ademola Lookman one in recent days.
Again Bruce was cautious, and said: "There have been one of two sensational (January) transfers over the years – (Virgil) van Dijk for example – but usually teams don't want to sell their best players.
"It's a difficult market. You end up looking at people who have fallen out with somebody and that's not a good thing.
"There have been one or two inroads maybe, but you think you're getting somewhere and then it shuts in your face.
"I've been linked with 38 players that have been run past me by the media team, and he's (Lookman) one of them. He's a good player, I like him, but it's a bit far off at the minute.
"We're like everybody else. We said from day one that January was always going to be difficult. "