Eddie Howe drops Newcastle United injury bombshell after Leicester City win

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has revealed Jonjo Shelvey first detected his calf injury during the friendly against Rayo Vallecano earlier this month.

It was announced prior to the Magpies’ 3-0 victory at Leicester City on Boxing Day that the midfielder is expected to spend up to two months on the sidelines.

The 30-year-old only recently returned from hamstring surgery that kept him out for the majority of the first half of the campaign.

Shelvey made four appearances before the five-and-a-half-week World Cup break - including a start against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup.

The former Liverpool man worked on his fitness and sharpness during the mid-season break by starting both friendlies versus Al-Hilal and Rayo Vallecano. He was also a late substitute during last week’s Cup win over Bournemouth.

But Shelvey continued to feel some discomfort after the Vallecano fixture and underwent a scan, which brought some frustration news.

Howe said: “Looks like six to eight weeks, unfortunately. I think he felt something in the game against Vallecano. We hoped it wasn’t serious. He resumed training, and felt OK.

“A couple of days later he felt it again, so he went for a scan. It’s enough to keep him out for that length of time.”

Howe added: “Really tough for him. He worked incredibly hard to be fit for our pre-season and be ready for the rigors he faced and the fact the team were playing a certain way, he wanted to try and be part of that.

“When he picked up his hamstring injury, we were really disappointed for him. I saw him work so hard to get back from that hamstring injury and he came back slightly ahead of schedule because of the work he put in. Now he’s going to be out again, it’s a big blow for him and for us.

“Of course, we’ll support him through this part of the journey.”