Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle will undergo surgery on Saturday to repair damaged knee ligaments and is facing up to three months out, Sportsmail can reveal.
The 29-year-old visited a specialist this week, where it was confirmed he needs an operation after injuring his medial collateral ligaments during a pre-season friendly against Crewe last month.
The recovery time will be between 10 and 12 weeks, meaning it is likely to be December before he returns.
It is a blow for head coach Steve Bruce, who almost certainly would have started the campaign with Gayle as his first-choice frontman had he been fit.
Gayle looked sharp as he scored four times during the closing weeks of last season and his loss has heightened Bruce’s need for a new striker.
The manager wants Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson but it remains to be seen if Newcastle’s hierarchy will make a formal offer after Aston Villa saw a £15million bid rejected on Friday.
As it stands, Andy Carroll is set to start against former club West Ham next weekend.
