Newcastle United defender Javier Manquillo has been ruled out for ‘three to four weeks’ with injury, according to journalist Jordan Cronin.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Premier League right-back was missing from the matchday squad for the 2-1 Carabao Cup second-leg victory over Southampton in midweek, with no reason for his absence having been given prior to the highly-anticipated semi-final fixture.

Eddie Howe revealed post-match that the Spaniard would be facing a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in training, and the 28-year-old’s problem has now been specified following a fresh update on his situation.

The Latest: Manquillo fitness update

Taking to Twitter, Cronin relayed an update from Howe’s Friday press conference revealing that Manquillo has been back in his homeland to receive treatment, whilst stating the timeframe he’s expected to be out for. He wrote:

"Javier Manquillo is currently in Spain getting injections in his knee.

“The full-back is set to be out for “three to four weeks.”

The boss further said:

“He’s just got a ball on the end of his foot, which has twisted his knee slightly. It’s a strange mechanism.

“He’s been away in Spain and had a couple of injections. I think he’s back here tomorrow and we hope from there we can build him up quite quickly.”

The Verdict: Boost for Howe?

News that Howe expects the 28-year-old to built back up 'quite quickly' come as a boost, if all goes to plan.

Manquillo has only made three appearances across all competitions this season having been in and out of the squad, but looking at his previous numbers, it will be a boost for Howe to have him back at his disposal.

The Chinchon native averaged 2.1 tackles and registered two assists and one goal in 15 top-flight starts during the 2021/22 campaign, highlighting his ability to impact the game at both ends of the pitch (WhoScored).

Manquillo has also been labelled a ‘terrific’ player by former Magpies manager Steve Bruce, and whether he’s starting every week or not, with the hectic fixture schedule, is a hugely useful option to have in the building at St. James’ Park.