Newcastle United sent injury 'warning' as star faces weeks out

Lewis Miley's injury is being treated as a 'warning' after the Newcastle United youngster returned from international duty with a back problem.

The 17-year-old has had his breakout season for his boyhood club, perhaps getting more game time than anyone expected due to Tonali's ban and the ongoing injury crisis.

However, Miley was forced to pull out of England's under-20s due to a back injury and according to reports he'll spend six weeks on the sidelines.

Howe said the club are still waiting to hear the full extent of the injury, but that the number of games may well have contributed to Newcastle Untied's latest blow.

"Lewis for me has always been in a position this year with the games he's been playing, that I was very, very wary of his minutes and I'll always try and protect him when I could and not start him when I had another option because he's so young and his body is still developing.

"You forget when you look at him how young he is because he certainly doesn't act like a 17-year-old. Maybe this is the warning that [I didn't need] but what everyone else needed to show we need to protect him because he's such a talent and we can't treat him like he's 23, 24."

Newcastle United are back in action on Saturday 30 April against West Ham (12:30pm kick-off)