Harvey Barnes potential Scotland call-up put on ice as Newcastle forward picks up bad injury

Any potential Scotland call-up next month for Newcastle forward Harvey Barnes has been shelved after it was revealed that 25-year-old is facing months on the sidelines due to a foot injury.

Harvey Barnes picked up the injury while playing for Newcastle against Sheffield United.

Barnes, who was capped once by England in a friendly in 2020, is reportedly interested in switching allegiance to Scotland. However, it is likely a debut for Steve Clarke’s team will have to wait until next year, with the player possibly facing surgery on the injury picked up playing for the Magpies against Sheffield United at the weekend.

The £38million summer signing from Leicester limped out of Sunday’s 8-0 Premier League win at Bramall Lane after just 12 minutes and Newcastle fear he may be out of action for some time. Head coach Eddie Howe said: “Yes, we’re fearing it’s going to be ... it’s difficult. I don’t want to put a time on it until we get confirmation from the specialist, but I think it will be months rather than weeks.”

Barnes has undergone a scan and is now waiting for a specialist’s opinion to discover if surgery is required. Howe continued: “It’s an injury to a part of the foot just below the toe. I think it’s quite a substantial injury. We’ve had it scanned, we’re waiting now for a specialist’s opinion on what to do next, whether there’s surgery involved or not. I don’t think it was a tackle, I think it was just pushing off to run, a very unusual injury. I won’t go too technical because I’m not medically qualified to do so, but yes, very unusual.”