NEWCASTLE United have been dealt yet another major injury blow with Lewis Miley set for a number of weeks on the sidelines with a back problem.

The 17-year-old suffered the injury while away with England's Under-20s and Newcastle are now awaiting scan results to determine the severity of the issue, with the young midfielder back on Tyneside.

It's not yet known exactly how long Miley will be out of action but the early estimate is a number of weeks, which is another problem Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe could do without.

It's the latest in a long list of injury setbacks this season and the second major blow of the current international break, with Sven Botman ruled out for up to nine months last week with a serious knee injury that requires surgery. Tino Livramento and Harvey Barnes also suffered minor injuries before the stoppage.

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Despite not turning 18 until May, Miley has established himself as a key figure for Howe this season. He's started 14 Premier League games and featured in every fixture since the defeat to Bournemouth in November. While Newcastle have recently been boosted by the return to fitness of Joe Willock in midfield, the Magpies are still short in that area, with Joelinton out injured and Sandro Tonali serving his betting ban.

Miley's setback means Howe is once again going to be down to the bare bones in midfield in the coming weeks, with Newcastle hosting West Ham on Saturday in desperate need of a win to keep alive their hopes of securing European football for next season.