Newcastle United midfielder ruled out of Everton & Spurs matches after injury scan as fresh blow confirmed

Eddie Howe can't put Newcastle United's injuries down to anything other than 'bad luck' following confirmation of yet more serious blows to key players.

Jamaal Lascelles is facing six to nine months out following an ACL injury picked up in the 4-3 win over West Ham United on Saturday. It follows on from Sven Botman's ACL injury confirmed just weeks prior and leaves Newcastle with Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Paul Dummett as the club's only fit senior centre-backs for the remaining nine games of the season.

Tino Livramento (ankle) and Miguel Almiron (knee) were also forced off during the West Ham match. And Lewis Miley returned from international duty with a back injury which is likely to rule him out for at least a month.

According to Mail Online, the 17-year-old midfielder has suffered bone bruising on his back following a scan.

That adds to the pre-existing injury absentees in Newcastle's squad. Matt Targett was close to a return to action after five months out with a hamstring injury but has recently been suffering from Achilles tendonitis.

Kieran Trippier is also on the verge of returning after missing the last three matches with a calf issue.

Joelinton (thigh), Callum Wilson (chest) and Nick Pope (shoulder) are all pushing to return before the end of the season after extended spells on the sidelines. The plethora of injuries throughout Newcastle's squad this season has been the subject of much discussion as Eddie Howe and his staff looked to get to the root of the problem. But after analysing the injuries further, Howe insists the majority of the 38 various injuries suffered in the Newcastle squad this season have been down to 'bad luck' despite admitting the physical toll the side's play style has had on his players.

"I always think there’s no such thing as bad luck, I think you create your own luck," Howe said. "We play a really high-intensity style and a real physical game. Naturally, if we didn’t play that style and played a different way, the physical cost on our players would be less.

"But when you look at some of the injuries we’ve had this year, and we’ve analysed and reanalysed them, then for a lot of them, you can’t put them into any category other than bad luck, even though I don’t really believe in it.

"I could go through injuries, and it’s been a really strange one. Even [against West Ham], that’s been the case with some of the injuries we’ve got.

"I know some of the players have been away on international duty, and that puts an extra load on them, and I think you could see with West Ham, some of their players were going down as well. The speed of the game is definitely getting quicker, week on week."

Newcastle players have lost more days to injury this season than any other club in the Premier League. Howe will be hoping to see right-back Kieran Trippier return to action.

Newcastle head into the final two months of the season looking to secure European football for the second successive season. Howe's side finished fourth last season and qualified for the Champions League.

A repeat this season is highly unlikely but Europa League and Conference League qualification remains within reach with nine games to go.

Here is Newcastle United's current injury list and expected return dates...