Nightmare for Howe - Times journalist shares Trippier update after speaking to NUFC officials

Newcastle United are worried that Kieran Trippier may be out for a ‘significant’ period after sustaining an injury in Sunday’s win over Aston Villa, according to The Times‘ Martin Hardy.

The defender was forced off just three minutes after half-time at St James’ Park on a day when his first-half free-kick, the second he has scored in the space of a week, proved to be the winner.

Eddie Howe said after the match that the club were ‘keeping everything crossed’ that the £12m January signing from Atletico Madrid had avoided serious injury.

Sky Sports’ Paul Merson labelled Trippier the pick of the new arrivals at the Magpies, describing him as a player who will ‘run through a brick wall’. Also, the 31-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.68/10 since he joined, ranking him top of the Newcastle squad already.

As per The Times, Trippier was seen walking with crutches and wearing a protective boot when he returned to St James’ Park, having undergone an X-ray at a local hospital

Club officials are reportedly concerned there may be ‘significant damage’, leading to a lengthy spell on the sidelines for the right-back, while the player himself fears that he has broken a bone in his foot.

If Trippier has sustained a metatarsal fracture, then it could take somewhere between four and eight weeks to heal fully (via Goal). Even then, he could only return to training once it has healed completely.

If it’s on the latter end of the scale, he could miss at least eight matches over the next couple of months, including a clash with fellow strugglers Brentford.

For Howe, who is already without the likes of Callum Wilson, Federico Fernandez, Javier Manquillo and Matt Ritchie, this would be another cruel injury blow, just as Trippier was