Newcastle United are waiting on scan results to find out the extent of left-back Massadio Haidara’s injury.

The 20-year-old was stretchered off during the first half of yesterday’s 2-1 defeat at Wigan Athletic following a reckless challenge by Latics youngster Callum McManaman.

The Frenchman only joined the Magpies in January from Nancy, and was making just his second appearance in the Premier League.

Damage

He had came on as a substitute earlier in the half for fellow injury victim Mathieu Debuchy, and manager Alan Pardew confirmed after the game that Haidara had suspected knee ligament damage.

The FA are to review the incident as referee Mark Halsey failed to even give Newcastle a free-kick for the knee-high challenge from McManaman, and the 21-year-old is likely to be given a ban.

Haidara also suffered a thigh injury following the tackle, which led to a half-time scuffle between members of both teams’ coaching staff and several players, including McManaman.

After the game, Pardew could not hide his frustration.

Awful

He told BBC Sport: “It was an awful tackle. I have got a boy going to hospital and that’s a worse feeling than losing.

“It looks like knee ligaments and he’s got terrible bruising on his leg as well.

“It looked a bad challenge but I didn’t realise how bad until it filtered through to us from the sideline.

“It is almost injustice you feel. Your team-mate has got a terrible injury and the tackle is not punished.

“It’s difficult – you want to get that extra bit, not retribution, but you want to win the game.”

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez defended his player, adding: “It is a contact sport and these things happen but there was never any intent.

“What you need to look at in those incidents is if there is intention, a nastiness about the tackle. We are not a nasty team.

“He [McManaman] has not a nasty bone and is not bad-intentioned.

“When you get the ball and then there is a follow-up it is very difficult for a panel to punish that.”

Clean as a whistle

Meanwhile, Latics chairman Dave Whelan also waded into the row today, and seemed to suggest it was not even a foul.

He added: “The ball was there and McManaman went in for the ball and got the ball, as clean as a whistle, then followed through and they collided.

“He hasn’t gone over the ball. That’s an accident.”