Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock was stretchered off during the closing stages of a pre-season friendly against the K-League XI in South Korea. The 24-year-old collided with an opponent and immediately signalled to the dugout that he was in pain, holding the back of his ankle.
The medical team quickly attended to Willock, who required a stretcher to leave the pitch. The incident occurred in the final moments of the match, which Newcastle lost 1-0. The club now faces uncertainty over Willock's fitness with the Premier League season starting in less than three weeks.
Manager Eddie Howe commented: 'I don't have a major update yet but it didn't look great on the pitch. But at this moment, it doesn't look like a major, major injury. And fingers crossed it's not, because Joe has suffered enough. Hopefully he's OK.'
Newcastle begin their campaign away at Aston Villa on August 16. Willock made 41 appearances across all competitions last season. The injury adds to a challenging summer for Howe, who is also dealing with speculation over star striker Alexander Isak's future.
Isak has expressed a desire to explore other options, but Howe insists no formal offer has been received. 'He is still our player. He's contracted to us,' Howe said. 'We have not received a formal offer for Alex, from any club.'
Newcastle's only major signing so far has been Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £55 million. Other targets have moved elsewhere, including Joao Pedro to Chelsea and James Trafford back to Manchester City.
