Newcastle: Kieran Trippier injury could be disastrous - Jermaine Jenas analysis

It would be disastrous for Newcastle if Kieran Trippier's foot injury is serious — yes, he is already that important to them.

Hopefully the problem he suffered in Sunday's win against Aston Villa is just a bit of bone bruising and it will only be a couple of weeks until he's back in action, because any longer and the effects of his absence would run deeper than just a talented individual missing a few games.

Trippier has obviously scored a couple of excellent goals for Newcastle this week, but there's a much bigger picture to what he has brought to the club since joining last month than just his brilliant free-kicks.

As well as his ability, I'm talking about his personality — and the impact he has had on his team-mates to help them start to turn around the situation they are in.

I didn't play with Trippier at Tottenham because I had left before he joined, but I know plenty of people who did.

They have told me what he is like — someone who keeps a level head in the dressing room and is also a calming influence to have around you on the pitch, with or without the ball.

You can tell how highly thought of he already is at Newcastle because Magpies manager Eddie Howe made him captain for the Villa game when Jamaal Lascelles was unwell. I can understand why.

Trippier is not someone who gets too high or low, so what the club is going through will not affect him — and you know you can rely on him to help others deal with any difficult moments during games.

We were talking about the Magpies' January signings in the Match of the Day office before Sunday's game and the key word for all of them is that they have got character.

From a player's point of view, they are the type of people you want around you in the dressing room and on the