Newcastle suffer huge blow with Jonjo Shelvey facing 12 WEEKS out after undergoing hamstring surgery

Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is set to miss the first half of the season after undergoing hamstring surgery.

Sportsmail can reveal the 30-year-old was operated on in London over the weekend and is now facing 12 weeks on the sidelines, taking him into early November.

The Premier League breaks up to allow for the World Cup following the weekend of November 12 and does not recommence until Boxing Day.

Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is set to be out for 12 weeks after hamstring surgery

It’s a blow for Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, who will miss his playmaker for half a season

We understand Shelvey should be ready to return for what will be treated as a second pre-season during this period.

But the news is huge blow for the former England man, who had returned in fine shape this summer after spending one month with a personal trainer in Turkey. He is also three games shy of activating a one-year contract extension to the summer of 2024.

Shelvey was noticeably sharp during the recent tour of Austria before feeling his hamstring in a friendly against Benfica on July 26. The player had originally hoped the issue was not too serious. However, after seeing a specialist it was confirmed the best course of action was surgery.

The ex-Liverpool man sustained the issue during pre-season and won’t be back until November

Shelvey had appeared in line to start the season in Eddie Howe’s side and, after revealing he had sacrificed his holidays to improve fitness, he told us last month: ‘Since I’ve been at Newcastle, it’s the strongest the squad has been, and I just want to be part of it. I back myself to do that.

‘With the way the game is going, you’ve got to get on board or you fall by the wayside. A lot of the game is now based on stats, which may be right or wrong, but that’s the way it is. If I didn’t buy into it, I’d be out the door.’

The loss of Shelvey will see Elliot Anderson remain at the club – he has a host of Championships teams interested in a loan move – and the teenager will compete with Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff and Joe Willock for a place in Howe’s three-man midfield.