Newcastle United and England star Lewis Hall has suffered an ankle injury just two weeks before the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
The Magpies can win an unprecedented domestic cup double with the club through to the Carabao Cup final and taking on Brighton in the FA Cup fifth-round on Sunday.
Eddie Howe’s side have also performed very well in the Premier League, currently sitting sixth and just three points off the top four as they bid to qualify for the Champions League.
Hall has been one of their standout players in this his first season at St. James’ Park following a permanent transfer from Chelsea worth up to £35million.
Excelling both defensively and offensively, the left-back won his first caps for England in November and was a shoe-in to be named in Thomas Tuchel’s first Three Lions squad later this month.
Get personalised updates on your team every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
However, when the line-ups were announced for Sunday’s clash against Brighton, Hall was nowhere to be seen in Newcastle’s matchday squad, with veteran Kieran Trippier in the starting XI instead.
Soon after the club announced: ‘Lewis Hall misses today’s game with an ankle injury he picked up in Wednesday’s game against Liverpool.
‘Wishing you a speedy recovery, Lewis.’
Hall played the full 90 minutes as Newcastle lost 2-0 to Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League, with this injury coming as a surprise to supporters.
The news is deeply concerning for both club and the player with the Carabao Cup final and international break fast approaching.
Newcastle travel to West Ham in the Premier League on Monday, March 10 before taking on Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, March 16.
The Thomas Tuchel era of England begins just five days later with a World Cup qualifier against Albania.
In better news for the Magpies, Alexander Isak and Joelinton were passed fit to start against the Seagulls after an injury scare.
‘Isak’s in. He’s fully fit, he’s recovered, and we’re delighted he’s back,’ Howe told ITV ahead of kick-off.
‘He’s been a pivotal figure for us, he’s led the line really well and scored a number of goals. We’re delighted he’s ready for the game.
‘Joelinton’s looking good. He’s trained and done a lot of work. He’s the ultimate professional in terms of his recovery from his injuries.
‘He adds a physical strength that I think we’ve been missing in recent weeks. I don’t think he’ll play through the whole game but he’ll certainly get through a number of minutes.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.