Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff is set to undergo a “follow-up scan” to discover the extent of his foot injury today, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie.
What's the latest injury news on Longstaff?
The Magies suffered a 2-0 Premier League defeat to Arsenal on Sunday so will be hoping to regain their positive form and return to winning ways when they travel to Elland Road this weekend to take on Leeds United, but they’ll have to try and do so without the services of the 25-year-old.
The St. James’ Park academy graduate was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge during the 4-1 victory over Everton back in April and has therefore missed the last two top-flight games vs Southampton and the Gunners with a foot injury.
According to journalist Jordan Cronin, Eddie Howe’s maestro has already had an x-ray which ruled out a broken bone or fracture, but it’s important that he finds out exactly what the problem is which is keeping him sidelined.
Taking to Twitter, Downie revealed that Newcastle are sending Longstaff for a further in-depth assessment today as concerns grow that his injury is worse than initially feared. He wrote:
“Sean Longstaff is going for a follow-up scan on his foot injury on Tuesday. Eddie Howe says they thought it was just bruising but “might be something more serious."
Will Longstaff's absence be a blow for Newcastle?
By the sounds of it, Newcastle are likely to be without the services of Longstaff potentially for the remainder of the season, and having been hailed an “astonishing” player by journalist Josh Bunting, Howe not having him available for selection will be a massive blow.
The Magpies central midfielder, who currently pockets £50k-per-week, has been a regular feature this term making 27 starts in the top-flight, with seven goal contributions (four assists and three goals) to show for his efforts in the northeast across all competitions.
He also ranks in the 89th percentile for number of touches in the attacking penalty area so is constantly looking to produce moments of quality even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, but additionally likes to get stuck in and win back possession for his side having made 42 tackles this season – his absence certainly seemed to have an impact on Bruno Guimaraes' performance vs Arsenal.
Furthermore, Longstaff provides the boss with wonderful versatility with his ability to operate in five various positions, including four in the midfield and even in the final third, so the sooner he returns to action, the better.
