Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton has been ruled out for six weeks after picking up a thigh injury during the 3-0 FA Cup win at Sunderland last weekend.
Joelinton played a key role in the opening goal at the Stadium of Light with his cross being turned in by Sunderland's Dan Ballard. A second half brace from Alexander Isak secured a comfortable win for Eddie Howe's side.
Heading into Saturday's match against Manchester City, Howe confirmed Joelinton would be facing an extended spell on the sidelines. The injury is likely to rule the Brazilian out of the next seven matches.
"The prospects over the next couple of weeks aren't good," Howe added. "It's an injury that will probably see him certainly miss a minimum of six weeks.
"It's a real blow for us, and he's had a very stop-start season unfortunately this year whereas he was so consistent last year."
Newcastle are unlikely to see any players return from injury this Saturday against Manchester City (5:30pm kick-off) at St James' Park with their list of unavailable players into double figures once again. Callum Wilson (calf), Harvey Barnes (foot), Joe Willock (Achilles), Elliot Anderson (back), Jacob Murphy (shoulder), Nick Pope (shoulder), Matt Targett (hamstring) Javier Manquillo (groin) and Sandro Tonali (banned) are all unavailable.
"No one immediately coming back but we have no one like Joelinton so we're never going to get a like-for-like replacement. He is our midfield driving force physically and we've got no one like him so it's a big blow."
Here is Newcastle United's injury list and expected return dates as things stand...
5. Nick Pope (shoulder)
Nick Pope dislocated his shoulder against Manchester United in December and required surgery. Eddie Howe has said the goalkeeper is still a number of weeks away and isn't expected back until 'late April'. Expected return: Everton (H) - 03/04
6. Callum Wilson (chest)
Wilson managed to complete 90 minutes at Nottingham Forest but ended the match with his arm in a makeshift sling. It has since been revealed the striker suffered a pectoral injury in his chest and has undergone surgery. Expected return: Burnley (A) - 04/05
7. Joelinton (thigh)
Joelinton picked up a thigh injury during Newcastle's 3-0 win over Sunderland. He was able to briefly play on before being withdrawn. Eddie Howe has ruled the Brazilian out for at least six weeks but surgery on the injury is likely to keep the midfielder out until the end of the season. Expected return date: May 2024
8. Sandro Tonali (suspended)
Tonali was handed a 10-month ban from football after breaching Italian betting regulations. This suspension will rule the midfielder out of action for the rest of the season, next summer’s European Championship and the opening weeks of next season. The verdict of an FA investigation is still pending. Expected return: 27/08/24