Pompey loanee Isaac Hayden has been in World Cup action for Jamaica ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup. Pic: Getty.placeholder image
Pompey loanee Isaac Hayden has been in World Cup action for Jamaica ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup. Pic: Getty. | Getty Images
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden has been sent home from international duty on medical grounds.
Hayden, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Championship side Portsmouth, was due to link up with Jamaica for their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign in the United States.
The 30-year-old played in three of the four games leading up to the tournament but after missing the opening group game defeat to Guatemala last Tuesday, he was officially withdrawn from the squad alongside Everton defender Mason Holgate.
Jamaica bounced back on Saturday to beat Guadeloupe 2-1. And it was after the match that manager Steve McLaren provided an update on Hayden.
Isaac Hayden withdraws from international with ‘ stomach cramps and respiratory problems’
The former Newcastle head coach revealed Hayden had been suffering from “stomach cramps and respiratory problems”. His absence is viewed as a significant blow to the Reggae Boyz’ chances of succeeding in America,
To guarantee qualifying for the knockout stage, McLaren’s side must beat Panama on Wednesday.
“Unfortunately, Isaac came down with stomach cramps and respiratory problems before the BVI [British Virgin Islands] game,” McLaren explained. “We pushed him to play against Guatemala, but afterwards he complained again. After further investigation, we had to send him home and replaced him with Karoy Anderson.
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“He (Mason Holgate) picked up a knee injury in the Guatemala (World Cup qualifying) game. The scan showed a medial ligament issue, not a major one, but one that would rule him out for two to three weeks. So, we sent him home and brought in Sue-Lae McCalla.
“It (a lack of midfield options) has been a problem from the first time I came in. I think we identified Isaac Hayden as an important recruitment, and he has stabilized our midfield. I think long term when we're looking at World Cup qualifiers, and as long as Isaac stays fit, we have that ideal person that glues the team together.
“When he's not here, we're searching around a little bit for a solution, and at the moment we haven't found that ideal six, for me anyway, that can play that role. People have done a great job in there, and we've tried to help the team also with an inverted fullback to give us a little bit more stability in there. But it is a conundrum, and one that we have to find a solution for.”
Isaac Hayden’s situation at Newcastle United
Newcastle United will monitor Hayden’s condition. If given the all-clear, the midfielder will likely spend the final year of his contract out on loan again.
Hayden moved to Newcastle from Arsenal in 2016 and has made 171 appearances, though his last came in December 2021 after being frozen out of the first-team picture by head coach Eddie Howe. He spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Norwich City before the following season having separate loan spells at Standard Liege and Queens Park Rangers.
After failing to secure a move in the first-half of last season, Hayden twice appeared for United’s under-21s in the National League cup before joining Pompey, where he helped the South Coast club retained their second-tier status.
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