The 26-year-old “leader” of Newcastle United is now sidelined due to an injury

Newcastle United look like they are almost over their injury nightmare.

While the likes of Nick Pope, Joelinton and Callum Wilson are still out of action, the majority of the Magpies’ casualties are back.

Joe Willock recently returned from his Achilles problem, while Elliot Anderson made his comeback on Tuesday night to score a penalty in the FA Cup win over Blackburn Rovers. On top of that, Matt Targett is back in training after his hamstring injury.

Eddie Howe finally has a squad to pick from, which is a massive boost heading into the business end of the season.

However, it would appear that one of his players is still playing through the pain.

Sean Longstaff playing for Newcastle United with an injury

According to iNews, Sean Longstaff is currently playing through an injury, which they describe as ‘niggling’.

That would perhaps explain why he looks to be struggling at the moment. The 26-year-old is playing nowhere near as well as we know he can, and has actually been anonymous at times.

His recent level of performance has been worrying, but the fact that he is playing with a small injury problem makes his form slightly less concerning.

Sean Longstaff, who has been called a ‘leader‘ by Howe, appears to be going the extra mile, at a time when Newcastle have been struggling for options in his position.

However, the returns of Willock and Anderson should hopefully give the local lad a chance to get the rest he needs to recover from whatever is ailing him.

He has made 33 appearances for the Magpies this season, scoring six goals and providing two assists. Longstaff missed four games earlier this season with an ankle injury, but has not missed a match since the 3-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on December 7th.