Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar appears increasingly likely to leave the club this summer when his current contract ends, and after a season full of injury issues that have prevented him from featuring during the home stretch of the campaign.
The centre-back has not played a game since January and is out of contract in July, raising doubts over whether he will play again for Newcastle with just two games remaining.
Magpies manager Eddie Howe made it clear Schar might have already played his last game for NUFC when addressing the media ahead of MD37 against West Ham.
“I don’t think Fabian will make the last two games, which is a real shame for him,” Eddie Howe said on Friday. “He was close to returning a few weeks ago and then he suffered the infection, which set him back. He is back running again and looking healthy, but there is a big difference between that and actually playing.”
The club is expected to hold discussions over his future soon, but all signs point toward Newcastle preferring to bring younger players to the team while letting all pending free agents go this summer.
“He’s had a difficult season with his injury but we will have discussions with him and his representatives in the next week,” Howe said.
With no extension agreed and time running out, Schar’s situation points toward an exit. The 34-year-old’s absence from the final fixtures, combined with his expiring contract, suggests he may have already made his final appearance for Newcastle after eight years at the club.
If Schar never puts on the black and white stripes again, he’d leave the club having spent nine years in Tyneside, appearing in 252 games and scoring 22 goals while assisting eight across all competitions.
