Newcastle United defender Matt Targett is ‘set to be out’ for a month, according to journalist Jordan Cronin.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Premier League left-back spent the second half of last season on loan at St James’ Park before making his move from Aston Villa permanent over the summer following a successful spell in the northeast.

However, the Magpies star sustained a heel injury earlier in the campaign, and despite Eddie Howe initially being unable to put a timeframe on the 27-year-old's return, a more detailed update has now emerged.

The Latest: Targett injury setback

Taking to Twitter in sharing a corresponding article for Newcastle World, Cronin revealed that Targett is facing a spell on the sidelines and won’t be expected to stage a comeback until February at the earliest.

He wrote: “A bit of an update on Matt Targett. The left-back is set to be out for a minimum of four weeks.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Newcastle

Howe will know how much of a positive impact Targett has had on the Newcastle side, which is why it’ll come as a blow for the Magpies to learn that they will have to continue without his services in the weeks ahead.

The Eastleigh-born talent has so far made 28 appearances across all competitions for the club and averaged 2.6 tackles and 2.4 clearances per game whilst on loan on Tyneside last season (WhoScored).

Dan Burn has moved to left-back to cover in Targett’s absence, so he will also no doubt be hoping that his team-mate returns sooner rather than later so that he can revert to his natural centre-back position.