Fresh Newcastle United injury blow confirmed with player expected to leave in January

Munoz’s 18-month loan spell on Tyneside ends in January and Newcastle have an option to buy the player from Liga MX side Santos Laguna. But the 20-year-old’s time in England has been plagued by injuries which has limited him to just 13 appearances for the club’s second string side since arriving last August.

The Mexican forward has started just two matches for United’s Under-21s so far this season. Although Dickman is still waiting for a decision to be made regarding Munoz’s future, the player is expected to officially return to Santos Laguna in the new year after suffering another injury setback.

"Santi’s injured, he’s in the hands of the medical team,” Dickman revealed.

“In terms of what the next stages are for Santi, I’ll be honest with you, I really don’t know.

"I’m sure once the decision has been made somebody will let people know. At this moment in time, the main focus is getting Santi fit and getting him back on the grass and getting him involved in games. We’ll see what happens.”

Despite his injury issues, Munoz has still managed to train with Eddie Howe’s first-team.

He also made his non-competitive debut for Newcastle during pre-season, coming off the bench as a 90th minute substitute in a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao at St James’s Park.

Last season, Munoz spoke of his desire to make the move permanent after returning from a serious hamstring injury but is now facing an uncertain future.