Kieran Trippier now ruled out until the end of the month after picking up injury on Saturday

Kieran Trippier exited the St James' Park battlefield just past the 50-minute mark on Saturday after feeling a niggle in his calf.

Just as Newcastle were starting to get long-term injured players back again, seeing a player of Trippier's standing limping off the pitch was the last thing fans wanted to see.

Hope was restored on Sunday, however, after Kieran Trippier picked up the FWA Player of the Year award and Tripps mentioned the injury saying he didn't feel it was too serious.

Newcastle will have to travel to the Etihad without Kieran Trippier

That suggested that he might be fit again to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday, but having had the scans it doesn't look like we'll be seeing Trippier for a while according to The Shields Gazette.

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It now seems that Newcastle's vice-captain will be out for a few weeks and may not return to action until the game against West Ham on 30th March.

That means Newcastle will have to take on Chelsea without Trippier and, perhaps even more importantly, will have to go to the Etihad to face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-final without his leadership.

Trippier to be on the sidelines on crutches again?

We remember when Trippier picked up an injury just after joining Newcastle and he kept traveling with the team and was a presence on the touchline with his crutches. We wonder if he'll do the same again this time.

Even at the back end of 2023 when Trippier's form was ... shall we say ... questionable, his leadership on the pitch was still vital. Trippier brings so much more than just his assists to the side, he keeps the team in line and keeps them ticking.

We expect that Tino Livramento will take over right-back duties for now which is no bad thing, Tino has rarely let the side down when called upon.