Newcastle manager Alan Pardew says he expects to be without France midfielder Yohan Cabaye until February at the earliest.
Cabaye, who had an operation in Paris on Monday, is set to undergo further surgery on a troublesome groin injury within the next 24 hours.
The influential Newcastle midfielder will be unavailable for at least eight weeks after the second phase of a two-part operation to correct a long-term stomach problem.
Cabaye’s absence adds to a series of injury worries to his squad for Pardew, who is also set to be without former England Under-21 defender Steven Taylor for a similar length of time due to a torn hamstring.
“Yohan’s had one side of his groin done and that caused a potential weakness in the other side, so that needs to be done,” Pardew said. “That will be done I think today (Tuesday) and he will probably be out for eight weeks.
“We’re probably looking at February 1 for both he and Steven, so we might as well get the bad news out of the way, because that’s what it is, and just focus on what is important, and that’s what we have got left.”
Cabaye, a STG4.5 million ($A6.9 million) signing from Lille in 2011, has scored twice in 11 starts plus two substitute appearances this season.
The 26-year-old hasn’t figured for Newcastle since the 1-0 Premier League defeat at home to West Ham on November 11.
Injury-hit Newcastle, away to Stoke on Wednesday, are 14th in the table and just four points above the relegation zone.
They currently have 11 senior players out of action.