Newcastle United Under Fire for Amar Dedic's Injury Handling

Newcastle United have been thrust under the spotlight in Bosnia and Herzegovina after national team boss Sergej Barbarez publicly questioned their handling of Amar Dedic’s injury.

The defender, who had started brightly at St James’ Park, is now out of the international window with what Barbarez describes as a worsened hamstring problem – and the coach is in no doubt where the blame lies.

From Millwall knock to Leeds setback

Dedic first felt the issue during a Carabao Cup tie against Millwall earlier this month. Newcastle’s medical staff were initially optimistic, and the 21-year-old was cleared to feature in the Premier League against Leeds United.

That call has now been heavily scrutinised.

Dedic started at Elland Road but lasted just 58 minutes of Newcastle’s defeat before signalling he could not continue. For Barbarez, that moment didn’t just cost Newcastle a defender on the day – it cost Bosnia and Herzegovina a key player for an entire Nations League block.

Speaking in Sarajevo, Barbarez did not soften his words. He argued the injury could have been avoided if Dedic had simply been allowed to rest after Millwall, and he underlined that the damage suffered against Leeds was “greater than before.”

“I would like to say a few technical things regarding the extent of Amar Dedic’s injury. He renewed his injury against Leeds, the extent of the injury is greater than before. If he had rested that game, he would certainly be with us now, but such things happen. He will be absent for three or four weeks. He will not be ready for these four games,” Barbarez said.

For Bosnia, that means no Dedic against Poland, Romania, or Sweden in a tightly packed Nations League schedule.

Busuladzic blow deepens injury gloom

Dedic is not the only major loss.

Barbarez confirmed that young midfielder Kenan Busuladzic faces a brutal spell on the sidelines after tearing his cruciate ligaments, an injury that will keep him out for around nine months.

“We also miss Kenan Busuladzic. He will not be in the game for nine months because he tore his cruciate ligaments,” the coach revealed, laying bare the scale of the setback.

A promising talent now faces a year-long recovery, and Bosnia’s midfield plans for the foreseeable future must be redrawn.

New faces step into the gap

With injuries biting hard, Barbarez has moved quickly to reshape his squad.

Four players have been drafted in: Benjamin Tahirovic, Ajdin Hasic, Arjan Malic and Luka Duric. The call-up for Duric stands out in particular. The forward has been making steady progress in Germany with Paderborn and has now earned the chance to stake a claim at international level.

“We handed out several invitations, we invited Benjamin Tahirovic, Ajdin Hasic, Arjan Malic and Luka Duric from Paderborn. He made a step forward in his career, he plays in the Bundesliga. Although the start of the season was not the most important thing, we want to see him in action so that he can be part of our team,” Barbarez explained.

The message is clear: injuries may have stripped away key names, but places are there to be seized.

Alajbegovic scare eases

Amid the bad news, one situation has at least moved in the right direction.

Kerim Alajbegovic, the Juventus midfielder, had sparked fresh alarm when he was taken off at half-time in a recent clash between Juventus and Atalanta. Given the week Bosnia had just endured, another serious injury would have been a gut punch.

Instead, Barbarez was able to calm the mood after speaking directly with the player and the medical staff in Turin.

“We spoke with Alajbegovic last night. He is slightly injured, he felt pain in his hip. Juventus doctors examined him last night and he is on his way to Sarajevo. He may take a break for a day or two, but it shouldn’t be anything special,” the coach confirmed.

So Bosnia head into a condensed Nations League window without Dedic and Busuladzic, leaning on fresh faces and hoping Alajbegovic’s minor issue stays exactly that.

The question now is whether this patched-up squad can turn a bruising injury list into an opportunity for a new core to emerge.