STEVE Bruce made an early start at Newcastle United this morning to weigh up the club’s injury problems.

With his squad decimated by injuries ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup tie at Rochdale, the Newcastle United boss is trying to come up with a team and formation to get the better of the League One side.

“I was in at quarter to seven this morning with the doctor,’’ he said. “I’ve never known a 15 minutes like it and I said a month ago the schedule was ridiculous.

“When you keep asking players to play tired… until Saturday our record was far better with injuries, especially soft tissue injuries.

“With sports science today it’s about prevention of injuries and soft tissue. It’s the number of games in a short period of times and we have suffered the consequences.

“None of the New Year’s Day four will play. Yedlin has a terrible hand injury. Dummet, Clarke, Lascelles, Ritchie – maybe for Wolves, but not the weekend.’’

However, he could be boosted by the return of Matt Ritchie to the squad, with the wing-back back in training: “Ritchie is training today and all being well he’s on the bench at Rochdale.’’

Bruce added: “The FA Cup is the FA Cup. I would love to freshen up and do this, that and the other. This is an opportunity. Longy came in last year with injuries and look what happened to him since.

“We have five defenders missing so we try and adapt and play people who we think can do a job there for us.’’