Newcastle United have been rocked by a fresh injury blow after Jamal Lewis picked up a hamstring injury during the 3-1 loss to Liverpool.
Eddie Howe has been fortunate with injuries in his first six matches as Toon boss but his squad are starting to feel the rigours of the Premier League season.
Lewis may now miss the home game with Man City and potentially the rest of the festive programme, just weeks after breaking back into the team.
Howe said: "It looked bad.
"It’s a hamstring injury, which is a surprise with Jamal because he’s obviously so athletic.
"He’s been excellent in terms of his athletic work for us so far, so for that to happen so early in the game, I was surprised."
Howe also explained why Callum Wilson was restricted to a cameo role at Anfield.
He said: "We just felt it was the moment when we could give Callum a rest.
"He’s obviously a player that I know very well, and I know his history.
"I know important he is for the team and the club, and it was just a case of trying to manage his minutes.
"There’s no guarantee that if you do manage their minutes, you can manage to keep everybody fit, but I think you’ve got to be intelligent and make the right call on the player’s and the team’s behalf.
"That was the case with Callum."
