Schar was feeling his hamstrings during the second half of Newcastle’s loss at Villa Park, so rather than keep him on the field once the Magpies had fallen three goals behind, Tindall decided to take him off in the 82nd minute.
Matt Targett came on to replace him, and while Schar will be assessed by Newcastle’s medical staff in the next 24 hours, Tindall is hoping he will have sufficient time to recover ahead of Saturday’s home game with Ipswich Town.
“Fabby was feeling his hamstring in the game,” said the Magpies assistant, who continues to deputise for Eddie Howe, who is receiving treatment for pneumonia.
“We felt it was the wise move to bring him off and try to protect him. Hopefully, that should make sure he’s okay for the remaining games.”
The defeat at Villa Park ended Newcastle’s six-game winning run and means they are now just two points clear of sixth-placed Villa as the battle for Champions League qualification hots up.
The Magpies will drop to fourth if Nottingham Forest win at Tottenham tomorrow night, and still have to negotiate difficult trips to both Brighton and Arsenal this season.
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Nevertheless, Tindall will be calling for cool heads in the wake of yesterday’s setback, which saw Newcastle’s defence repeatedly ripped apart by the pace and directness of Villa’s attacking.
“It is so important to stay calm and cool, and we will do,” said Tindall. “We have experience of this last time out (when Newcastle successfully qualified for the Champions League two seasons ago). We stayed calm and knew what we had to do.
“The players are aware of that, and we were under no illusions – coming here today was always going to be tough. Our record here at Villa Park suggests that.
“They are a top side with a top manager – it was going to be a tough challenge, certainly on the back of the week we’ve had. But we will remain calm and focused.”
