Newcastle United have been getting stuck into their pre-season friendlies this week with a victory over Atalanta last night at St James' Park. However, Jonjo Shelvey was missing from the Magpies' squad through injury, and now a new update has emerged with more details on his expected return.

What's the latest?

According to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope, Shelvey will be out for the start of the Premier League season.

Hope tweeted: "Understand Jonjo Shelvey’s hamstring injury will keep him out for 3-4 weeks, meaning he will miss start of season. A scan has showed the damage is not too serious."

Supporters will be gutted

The Newcastle supporters will surely be gutted about the absence of the reliable midfielder ahead of the new season, as the Magpies will want to get a good start in the Premier League in their pursuit to climb the table and compete effectively.

Shelvey has been one of the brightest players in pre-season and is one of the most experienced players for the North East club, so it will leave Eddie Howe with a headache on how best to set up his midfield in the first month of the campaign, but luckily - from what Hope has revealed - the midfielder appears to have escaped a longer spell on the sidelines.

Newcastle finished 11th last time out and, as Howe already proved last season, a good run of form and momentum are incredibly effective and important in the top-flight - something the manager will want to establish quickly to ensure the side gets off to the best possible start this time around

With a number of new signings and the ambition shown by the club, there is no doubt that Howe's ultimate goal will be to push the traditional top six for the European spots - and following the success of the second half of the season, this wouldn't be a farfetched expectation if he can get the best out of his players over an entire campaign.

As a result, the absence of Shelvey will be a worry for both the supporters and the manager, however, with the players they have in the squad and the midfielder's injury not as serious as it could have been, it shouldn't be too much of a long-term issue for the Magpies.

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