Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has sympathy for Callum Wilson as he faces surgery.
Wilson faces three months out as he prepares for a chest operation.
Howe said, "We had the injury scanned and initially hoped that he could continue.
"But when he went to a specialist, it became clear quite early on that he needed to be operated on.
"It is undoubtedly a big blow for him."
The manager added, "It has been an unrhythmic season for him. We hope that he is back before the end of the season."