Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe says Jonjo Shelvey appears to have suffered nerve damage in his hamstring during the Eusebio Cup defeat to Benfica. The Magpies midfielder's return date remains unknown as the club wait to see the extent of the damage.
Shelvey missed Friday's win over Atalanta and will play no part in Saturday's clash with Athletic Bilbao. The former Liverpool star was replaced in Lisbon earlier this week after limping off in the second-half.
Speaking after Friday's win, Howe admitted the club were waiting to see scale of the problem. "Everyone available bar Fede Fernandez, Jamal Lewis, Javier Manquillo. Jonjo won't be involved tomorrow," he told reporters.
Newcastle United 40-page pre season guide available to pre-order now, CLICK HERE to order. Also available to purchase through local participating retailers from Saturday July 30, 2022.
"We were waiting for some scans results and a couple of opinions on his hamstring injury. It looks like there is some nerve damage. We're waiting to see the extent of the damage of the hamstring, if there is any at all."
Quizzed over whether 19-year-old sensation Elliot Anderson could take Shelvey's place in the midfield, Howe insisted no decisions had been made over who starts the Premier League opener with Nottingham Forest.
"We'll have to wait and see tomorrow's performance. Then I'll evaluate training in the week and then make the decision," he added.
"I see training every day, in addition to the games we've seen. We work in a way where every time someone enters the pitch they know their roles.
"Playing together and building relationships is something we do all the time. My team isn't fixed in my head because we've got another game and then training next week so lots of things can change from this point.
"What I was really pleased with today was everyone who played gave a really good account of themselves and have pushed their chances of starting. The attitude of the performance, I thought it was very good."
