Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles will reportedly be missing until the start of 2020 after injuring his knee at the weekend.
Lascelles has been a key figure in Newcastle’s first team since the 2016/17 season when he was named captain by then manager Rafael Benitez, leading the Magpies to the Championship title.
The powerful centre-half has proven to be a popular figure at St James’ Park, ensuring the north-east outfit’s stay in the Premier League over the last two campaigns, and a call-up to the England squad has been mooted over the past few months.
However, the 26-year-old looks like he will have to wait for an international chance after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s 2-1 comeback win over Bournemouth on Tyneside.
Lascelles collided with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka in the opening exchanges and although soldiering on until the 20th minute, the skipper was replaced by Wales international Paul Dummett.
He was seen to leave St James’ Park on crutches at the weekend and, after scans on Tuesday, it is claimed he has suffered ligament damage and will be missing for the next couple of months.
If the reports are to be believed, Lascelles, who joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in 2014, could miss 13 Premier League matches and the start of a potential FA Cup run.
Luckily for the Magpies, Florian Lejeune is expected to be fit when action returns after the international break, while there are also strong reports Swtizerland’s Fabian Schar will be available for selection
Lascelles could prove to be a big miss as he is eighth in a table published by ‘The Other 14′, which shows the players that don’t play for the ‘big six’ who have the most combined clearances and blocks.
This season, the Newcastle skipper has 11 blocks and 59 clearances, leaving him just ahead of team-mate Schar (56), while Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings leads the standings on 110.
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