Newcastle United have announced that left-back Lewis Hall will miss the rest of the season after sustaining an injury to a bone in his foot.
The 20-year-old England international picked up the injury during the Magpies' 2-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Liverpool at the end of last month.
Hall's lengthy absence comes as another blow to Eddie Howe, who will also have to cope without suspended winger Anthony Gordon when Newcastle take on Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on March 16.
"We have been really tested," Howe said following the FA Cup fifth-round defeat against Brighton last week in which Gordon was sent off. "We have got a really small squad and picked up a couple of injuries.
"Some contrasting news on the injury front and with such a small squad, we can't afford to lose anyone. We need to regroup, refocus and then go again at West Ham."
Newcastle have confirmed that Hall is set to "undergo surgery before a period of rehabilitation with the club's medical team" following consultation with a specialist.
"Everyone at Newcastle United wishes Lewis the very best with his surgery and recovery," a club statement added.
How will Howe replace Hall after bombshell injury blow?
Hall has been one of Newcastle's standout performers this season and has been ever-present in Howe's side; only Dan Burn (2,894) and Bruno Guimaraes (2,828) have played more minutes than Hall (2,661) across all competitions.
The youngster has played 34 times in total this season, chipping in with five assists, and he leads the way among Newcastle players for touches (1,820) crosses (134), successful tackles (49) and blocks (33) so far this term.
Newcastle will have to cope without Hall for their remaining 12 matches of this season, 11 of which are in the Premier League with Howe's side still vying to secure a Champions League qualification spot.
The Magpies, who currently sit sixth in the table and three points behind the top four, have still got to play the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brighton, Chelsea and Arsenal before the season comes to a close.
So who will replace Hall as Newcastle prepare to head down the home straight? Well, Howe has three realistic options who he could call upon to play at left-back for the remainder of this season.
Livramento, Burn contenders to replace Hall at left-back
In the absence of Hall against Brighton in the FA Cup last week, Valentino Livramento was tasked to fill in at left-back as Kieran Trippier played in his natural right-back position.
Livramento may not be left-footed, but the athletic 22-year-old has shown plenty of promise in defence this season and already has some experience of playing on the left side. Indeed, he made nine appearances at left-back last season, playing there against the likes of Chelsea, Man United, Spurs and Arsenal in the Premier League.
At this stage, Livramento seems the most likely short-term solution for Howe and the one-cap England international could retain his place on the left side of defence for next Monday's top-flight trip to West Ham.
Another way that Howe could solve his left-back conundrum is by turning to an experienced head, and a left-footed defender, in Dan Burn who has played over 50 times at left-back since joining Newcastle in 2022.
The 32-year-old played 31 times at left-back last season, but the permanent arrival of Hall last summer led to Howe selecting Burn as a left-sided centre-back this term and he has played there 34 times in all competitions - not once at left-back thus far.
Considering that Newcastle are light in the centre-back department, Burn is seemingly more likely to continue in central defence, but he is always an option to move over to left-back when both Sven Botman and Fabian Schar are fully fit.
Targett the only natural left-back in Howe's first-team squad
The only natural left-back currently in Howe's first-team squad is Matt Targett, who has been suffering with an eczema flare-up for much of this season and has subsequently been limited to just four appearances this season - three in the EFL Cup and one substitute outing in the Premier League.
Targett, who allegedly came close to leaving the Magpies on loan in January, is a peripheral figure in the senior squad and is unlikely to gain regular game time in the latter stages of this season, but there may be occasions where Howe needs to rely on the left-back if he is fit to feature, whether that be from the start or as a substitute.
Lloyd Kelly would have been a viable option to play regularly at left-back for Newcastle had he not completed a January loan move to Juventus that includes an £20m obligation to buy in the summer.
Like Targett, Jamal Lewis is a natural left-back and spent the first few months of this season on loan at Brazilian outfit Sao Paulo, but he has since returned to St James' Park for treatment on a season-ending ankle injury. body check tags ::
