Eddie Howe confirms new ‘potential long-term injury’ for Newcastle United player

Matty Longstaff is being assessed by Newcastle United’s medical team amid fears he has suffered a serious knee injury.

The central midfielder, on loan at Colchester United, was stretchered off during the League Two side’s 1-0 away win at Gillingham on Boxing Day.

Longstaff hadn’t long returned from an early season hamstring issue before undergoing lengthy treatment on the Priestfield Stadium pitch.

Colchester boss Matt Bloomfield said after the game the 22-year-old had innocuously picked up what looked like a serious injury and was in tears at full-time.

Asked by NewcastleWorld about Longstaff’s injury, Howe said: “Matty’s been in for a couple of days to get his knee assessed and checked. It does look like it’s potentially a difficult injury for him.

“I don’t know the details exactly, he’s going to have scans and the full extent will be revealed. It doesn’t look good for him at the moment.”

Longstaff, whose loan spell at Colchester was due to come to an end in January, is out-of-contract at Newcastle this summer.

“It’s very difficult for him,” Howe added. “He’s a brilliant lad. We really, really like him as a person.

“It’s a very difficult time when your contract’s coming up. To get a potentially long-term injury is a difficult one for him but we will support him as a team and club and make sure we nurse him back to full fitness.”

The Magpies academy graduate has made 20 senior appearances for his boyhood club - the last being a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in January 2021 under Steve Bruce.