A big Newcastle United injury claim has emerged over central defender Fabian Schar...

What's the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has played down fears that the blow sustained by the Switzerland international against Liverpool is a serious one, although it remains to be seen how long it will keep him out for.

The defender was forced off in the first-half after a collision with Reds midfielder James Milner and the Toon manager is waiting on further news regarding his condition.

He told The Chronicle: "I don't know – it was related to the tackle, I don't know what it is, I haven't spoken to him or the medical team yet. We hope it's nothing serious, but obviously it was enough for him to come off."

Supporters will be buzzing

The supporters will be buzzing with this update as Howe's comments suggest that Schar has not been hit with a major injury setback.

If the centre-back had suffered a season-ending injury then the head coach would surely know because of the reaction from the medical staff and the player at half-time and full-time.

Whilst Schar has not had the opportunity to have any scans, an initial assessment would have been made on the pitch during treatment and then in the changing room after he was substituted, with Howe's quotes suggesting that it was not immediately obvious that it was a big injury.

Of course, the head coach may be playing it down to keep fans from worrying about it until they have a conclusive assessment of his situation but, for now, the supporters will be buzzing with the idea that it is not a serious blow for the Swiss as he is a key player for the club.

Schar has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.90 across 24 Premier League appearances this season, showing that he is a reliable player for Howe at the back. He has consistently delivered good performances in defence for the former Bournemouth boss and that is why losing him for a significant period of time would leave fans and the manager concerned.

The 30-year-old is crucial to what Newcastle want to do because his defending, alongside Dan Burn, provides a solid platform for the rest of the team to build off. His play at the back allows the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin to express themselves moving forward and, hopefully, we will see him in action again this season.

AND in other news, Won 67% duels: 62-touch Newcastle dynamo was "on point again" vs Liverpool...