Newcastle star spotted limping away from SJP and Howe issues worrying Sean Longstaff update

It looks like Sean Longstaff isn't the only Newcastle midfielder facing further assessment ahead of Saturday's trip to Leeds.

After the game, Joelinton was spotted struggling to put weight on his ankle as he came out the tunnel and walked to meet his family at the Leazes Corner.

The Brazilian was forced off in the 81st minute of yesterday's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal. His withdrawal wasn't all that concerning initially, but NewcastleWorld report that he left St James' Park limping and will be assessed in the coming days.

Perhaps the biggest concern is Sean Longstaff, however, as Eddie Howe's post-match comments suggest the midfielder may be facing longer on the sidelines than initially expected.

After the initial signs suggested nothing more than bad bruising, the boss fears it could be "something a bit more serious", confirming he'll see a specialist tomorrow to determine the true extent of the damage.

Here's what Howe's had to say, also explaining how we "lose a bit of balance" without the hard-working Geordie in the side:

“I certainly hope we will see Sean Longstaff again this season but on the specialist’s advice, he’s going to see another specialist on Tuesday, to get it double checked.

“We thought it was quite a standard injury – a bruise, now there may be a chance it’s something a bit more serious than that, but we are in the dark at the moment.

“Sean Longstaff has been an integral part of our midfield and I think that when you take him out, we lose a bit of balance.

“I think the balance of the team has been so impressive and Sean does a really important job. both in and out of possession for us. That’s no slight on anybody in the team today though.

“I thought it was just a different balance to our team with Alexander Isak on the left and Callum Wilson up front.

“I thought both players played well but we were up against a very good team, though we still created incredible chances.

“There were moments where I thought we were going to explode and catch fire but it never quite happened. However, Sean’s been a big part of our success.”