Newcastle United star Joe Willock has been dealt a fresh injury concern after missing Saturday's 4-2 defeat at Brentford over the weekend. Eddie Howe called on £150m worth of talent off the bench at the Gtech Community Stadium but was without the former Arsenal ace after his second setback of the campaign.

“I don’t think it’s serious. He’s had a hamstring problem, a very minor one," Howe explained after the heavy defeat in the capital.

Willock was sidelined with hamstring and Achilles' injuries last term and missed Newcastle's win over Tottenham Hotspur in September with a thigh problem. Since then, the attacking midfielder has featured in every game - both in the Premier League and Carabao Cup - for the Magpies and looked impressive in doing so.

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Willock's positive involvement in the recent cup win over Chelsea and league victories over Arsenal and Nottingham Forest was a huge reason why Howe's side temporarily got their season back on track last month. However, the left-sided midfield star limped off early in the defeat to West Ham United and was used for only two minutes in last week's 3-3 draw with Liverpool, either side of a difficult showing at Crystal Palace.

Willock is now fighting for a place in a hotly-contested area of Howe's side, attempting to oust Sandro Tonali and Sean Longstaff on a consistent basis. “Joe has had a tough time with injuries,” Howe said earlier in the campaign.

“His ability to run box-to-box quickly, his ability to sense where the ball is and run. That’s Joe at his best and I was really pleased to see it because he’s been a big miss for us because he adds a totally different feel to our midfield and he’s a goal threat.”