Rafa Benitez hoping Aleksandar Mitrovic's leg injury is not serious
Saturday 7 January 2017 19:15, UK
Rafa Benitez hopes Aleksandar Mitrovic's leg injury is not as bad as first feared after the striker was stretchered off at Birmingham.
The Serbian collided with Birmingham goalkeeper Adam Legzdins in the build-up to Daryl Murphy's opening goal in the 1-1 draw at St Andrews in the FA Cup third round.
The striker received medical attention on the pitch for nearly four minutes and was given oxygen as he was loaded onto a stretcher.
He was taken to hospital but Benitez has confirmed that the injury was a "cut" and Mitrovic was able to travel back to Tyneside with his team-mates.
"We have to wait," Benitez told NUFC TV. "It's a cut, maybe his knee, his leg.
"We'll have to wait when he gets back from the hospital what they say to us.
"We knew that he was training and just thinking about playing well in this game, and it was a pity because we had to take him off.
"It changed everything for him and changed everything for us, because he was ready for this game and I think for us, in terms of the game plan, it also changed everything."
