Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has given a fresh injury update on Florian Lejeune as he spoke in his press conference (via ChronicleLive) ahead of the Tyneside club's Premier League clash against Eddie Howe's AFC Bournemouth side this evening.

As per the outlet, the coach said that the defender has "picked up a nasty thigh injury" from when the Magpies played Hull City in a friendly game behind closed doors last month in preparation for the 2019/20 season to restart.

Bruce's team won that match, 2-0 with Lejeune incidentally getting himself on the scoresheet alongside Allan Saint-Maximin (as per Vavel).

Nevertheless, the central defender could potentially be out for the rest of the campaign, which would be a blow to the Toon - in his six Premier League matches this season, Lejeune has won four duels per game and also averaged 2.2 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, according to Sofascore.

He may not have start every upcoming match, but the 29-year old could be a useful player to have on the bench if one of Newcastle's centre-backs gets injured, or even tactically if Bruce wants to see the match out and put on an extra body to help defensively.

However, it seems possible that Lejeune may miss the rest of the season, meaning that the manager will have to rely on the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez to stay fit in the heart of his defence.

Only time will tell whether Lejeune missing will make any real difference, but his absence could be a real blow for Newcastle.

Geordies, is Lejeune's injury a major blow to Newcastle? Comment below with your views!