ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIM faces a fight to be fit to face Norwich City tomorrow after Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce admitted the winger has been struggling with a hamstring problem.

The Magpies’ £20m buy has not trained because of the issue and will be assessed again today in the hope that he will be available for the trip to Carrow Road.

Saint-Maximim looked dangerous in the final third against Arsenal last Sunday after he emerged from the bench and would have been in contention for a starting spot.

But Bruce, who does expect Jonjo Shelvey to have recovered from an ankle knock, has revealed his concerns this morning about the winger’s fitness.

The Newcastle boss said: “We think Jonjo will be OK, he trained yesterday and the day before. There’s a slight doubt about Allan Saint-Maximim, he has a slight hamstring. We will see how he is today. Emile Krafth is fit too.”

Newcastle started the new campaign with a defeat to Arsenal when Bruce was criticised for a mix-up over Jetro Willems’ position when he was introduced as a midfielder. Moments later he was moved to wing-back and he was then guilty of dawdling when the Gunners broke to hit the winner.

Bruce said; “I put Jetro on in midfield where he played for Frankfurt last season, and then thought that is a bit unfair on him because he is making his debut. I put him on in his favoured position after that.

“We have made a mistake but he was not the only one who made a mistake in the goal, two or three have. You make a mistake in the Premier League and gets punished.”

Newcastle now face the challenge of having to deflate a buoyant Carrow Road on Saturday afternoon when Norwich play a home game in the Premier League for the first time since the 2015-16 season.

Bruce, a former Canaries defender, knows what to expect. He said: “It’s never going to be easy. There is only Manchester City who scored more than them last season, their philosophy was ‘we’re going to score more than you’.

“That was it in the Championship, and that was they tried to do at Liverpool. Everyone will be excited. Norwich haven’t been there for a few years. It will always be difficult in the Premier League.

“They were very different to the way everyone played in the Championship, and basically ran away with it. They scored 93 or 95, an unbelievable amount. They won’t change. That is the way the manager wants to play. The one thing we will have to do is defend well. Can we go and exploit them at the top end of the pitch?

“The way they went about their work at Liverpool, the way the manager has his stamp on it, they blew the Championship away after being very impressive, having been favourite to be relegated. He has done an unbelievable job. It will be a big atmosphere and we will have to cope with that as well.

“I don’t think they will compromise and I think they will stick to it. There were no signs he is going to change. I don’t think he will change. The big thing with my experience from the Championship, you don’t get the amount of chances you get in the Championship you get in the Premier League. if you do make a mistake you get punished.”