Trippier hobbled off in the early stages of the second half on Saturday, and scans have revealed muscular damage that will need a spell on the sidelines to heal.
The results of the medical tests are not as bad as was potentially feared, negating worries that the 33-year-old might have been ruled out for most of the rest of the season.
However, Trippier will not be available for next Monday’s Premier League game at Chelsea and is also expected to miss the FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City. While his recuperation remains at an early stage, the home match against West Ham on March 30 has been provisionally pencilled in as a potential comeback date.
The West Ham game comes after the next international break, and Trippier’s injury is expected to mean he is not selected in the England squad that will be announced by Gareth Southgate next Thursday.
The full-back will sit out the friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, but there is confidence his calf issue will not affect his participation in this summer’s European Championships in Germany.
While this month’s friendly double-header will be critical to some players’ chances of making the squad for the finals, Trippier has more than enough credit in the bank with Southgate thanks to his international performances over a number of seasons. As a result, he remains pretty much a certainty for a place at the Euros.
From a Newcastle perspective, his absence from the FA Cup game at the Etihad in particular is a major blow, although Eddie Howe has a ready-made replacement in Tino Livramento.
Livramento replaced Trippier from the bench in the win over Wolves, and scored Newcastle’s final goal in stoppage time as he broke down the right-hand side and dribbled into the 18-yard box before stabbing a low finish past Daniel Bentley.
Meanwhile, Newcastle will not be rushing into attempts to secure a replacement for sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on gardening leave after expressing a desire to join Manchester United.
This week’s announcement that Richard Hughes will be leaving a similar role at Bournemouth at the end of the season sparked speculation that he could have been lined up for a move to St James’ Park.
However, sources claim that is not the case, with the Newcastle hierarchy confident they can negotiate the summer transfer window without Ashworth’s long-term successor in place.
The Magpies operated without a sporting director in the immediate aftermath of their Saudi Arabia-backed takeover, and enjoyed considerable success in the transfer windows prior to Ashworth’s arrival.
