A worrying Newcastle United injury update has emerged, after Jamal Lewis suffered a blow against Liverpool on Thursday...

What's the latest?

Magpies boss Eddie Howe has revealed what caused the young defender to be withdrawn from the match in the first-half. He told The Chronicle:

"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."

Gutted

Newcastle fans will surely be gutted with this update for multiple reasons. Firstly, the fact that it is a hamstring injury is a worrying prospect, as they can range from days, to weeks, to months, of recovery being needed before the player is able to return.

This means that Lewis could potentially miss a large chunk of the campaign, especially given Howe's claim that it "looked bad". Supporters will now be concerned about the severity of the injury and just how many matches he will be out for.

Secondly, they will be disappointed for the player himself. He had only been back in the side for three Premier League matches prior to Thursday night, playing against Norwich, Burnley and Leicester. His resurgence has now been stopped in its tracks and it is a major shame for the young full-back, as he could have established himself in the side and enjoyed a run of games in the team, revitalised under the new leadership.

Finally, fans will be gutted because it means that Matt Ritchie may be required to come back in at left-back for the foreseeable future. He gave the supporters a glimpse of what they have not been missing with a disappointing display off the bench against Liverpool.

In 75 minutes on the pitch, he failed to compete in a single ground or aerial duel. He made zero tackles and completed just 19 passes, attempting zero crosses from left-back in the match. This shows that he struggled to make a positive impact at either end, which is another reason why fans will be gutted by this injury to Lewis.

Hopefully, it will not keep the Northern Ireland international out for a prolonged period of time and he will be able to return for the start of January, or even Boxing Day if he is able to complete a speedy recovery.

AND in other news, NUFC liability who lost 83% duels badly betrayed Howe, Shearer thinks he's a "danger"...