Abdulhafiz TeslimNewcastle United were left shaken during their pre-season clash with Valencia after Anthony Elanga was involved in a horror moment that sparked chaos on the pitch and forced new head coach Matthias Jaissle to intervene.
The Swedish winger was on the receiving end of a shocking challenge from Valencia defender Jose Gaya during the friendly at the Mestalla, with the incident immediately causing outrage among the Newcastle players and coaching staff.
Gaya was shown a straight red card by Spanish referee Jose Martinez following the challenge. The official wasted little time making his decision, taking just three seconds to produce the red card and reduce Valencia to 10 men.
The challenge itself was particularly alarming, with Gaya appearing to launch into a two-footed sliding tackle that swept Elanga off the ground. The Newcastle winger suffered a nasty fall and immediately appeared to be in considerable pain.
The incident quickly sparked a huge confrontation between the two sets of players, with a 25-man brawl breaking out as Newcastle players rushed towards the scene. Jaissle and members of his backroom staff also stormed onto the pitch as they attempted to assess the situation and protect their player.
William Osula was among the first Newcastle players to reach Elanga and check on his condition. Given the severity of the challenge and the winger’s reaction, Newcastle’s medical team and coaching staff quickly decided that he could not continue.
Elanga was subsequently replaced by Jacob Murphy, who came on immediately as Newcastle continued the match against a Valencia side now playing with 10 men.
The full extent of Elanga’s injury remains unclear, with the winger leaving the pitch clutching his knee and appearing to be in agony. Newcastle will now hope that the incident does not result in a serious injury, particularly after Elanga had impressed during the opening stages of the match.
The former Manchester United winger had been causing problems down the right flank and looked lively in attack. He even found the back of the net, only for his effort to be ruled out for a marginal offside decision.
His early performance had therefore provided plenty of encouragement before the frightening challenge brought his evening to an abrupt end.
Jaissle was also forced to make several changes at half-time as Newcastle continued to manage their squad during the friendly. Aladji Bamba, William Osula, Harvey Barnes and Leo Shahar were all taken off as further substitutions were made.
For Newcastle, however, the biggest concern will undoubtedly be Elanga’s condition. The winger has quickly become an important attacking option, and losing him to injury would represent a major setback.
The club will now await further assessment from the medical team to determine the seriousness of the injury after a dramatic incident that threatened to overshadow the entire match.
Abdulhafiz Teslim
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