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Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis has suffered a potentially serious injury blow while out on loan at Sao Paulo.
Lewis agreed to spend the final year of his contract at Newcastle on loan in Brazil, with Sao Paulo having first-refusal to sign the 26-year-old permanently next summer. But after just three starts, Lewis suffered an ankle injury that was initially confirmed while he was away on international duty with Northern Ireland.
He has since missed the last five league matches for Sao Paulo.
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And Sao Paulo sporting director Carlos Belmonte has suggested Lewis may require surgery and would return to Newcastle in that instance. The Brazilian club have a clause in their loan agreement with Newcastle that allows them to cut Lewis’ loan short.
“Jamal might not be [staying at Sao Paulo],” Belmonte told UOL. “We have a clause in his contract – Newcastle could call him up at the start of the season, and we could return him. Our relationship with Newcastle is exceptional.
“He’s got an ankle problem and we’re making an assessment. It’s already been agreed with Newcastle [that] if he has to have surgery, he’ll go back for the surgery and the recovery process in England.”
Sao Paulo’s 2024 season is now over and the Brazilian side will return to action in the Campeonato Paulista in mid-January before the Serie A campaign starts in March 2025. Surgery for Lewis would effectively end his loan spell and 2024-25 season early.
Lewis spent last season on loan at Watford in the Championship, who declined an option to make the move permanent over the summer. The 26-year-old’s last competitive appearance for Newcastle came as a substitute in May 2023 but he has featured for the first-team in the last two pre-season campaigns.
Since joining The Magpies from Norwich City for £15million in 2020, Lewis has made 36 appearances for the club in all competitions. Lewis has almost certainly already played his last game for Newcastle with his contract due to expire on June 30, 2025.
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