Sol Campbell out of Newcastle United game against West Ham United
Newcastle United defender Sol Campbell has been ruled out of the club's Premier League fixture against West Ham United this weekend.
Campbell is carrying a thigh injury, which kept him out of the match against Wigan Athletic last weekend and may also force him to miss the game against Arsenal at the end of the month.
"Sol is struggling with a thigh injury and is out of West Ham, we are not sure he will be okay for Arsenal either
but we are hopeful," said Newcastle manager Chris Hughton.
Campbell has a lot of experience and many playing qualities, which mean he is greatly missed in any match he can't play. Newcastle must wrap him up in cotton wool because there
isn't great strength and depth in the defence.
Experience and quality
Campbell has more experience than the majority of defenders in the Premier League. He played 255 times for Tottenham Hotspur and 146 times for Arsenal.
This experience will be missed because Campbell is very good at keeping the defence of a side well organised under pressure. He can communicate with other players efficiently
to tell them when they are out of position and he's very good at keeping younger players calm during big matches.
Campbell is very good in the air and this benefits Newcastle at both ends of the pitch. Campbell has scored in a Champions League final, which shows he is a real threat when
going forward to attack set pieces for his team.
Newcastle must now protect him. He is one of the best defenders in the football club and the fact he's not getting any younger means he won't be able to play as many games as
he once could.
Betting advice
Newcastle should cope as long as Campbell is not kept out of the game for an extended period of time and as long as no other defenders pick up bad injuries. Never be afraid to
have a punt on Campbell scoring in a game because his heading is superb.
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