Lewis Miley has discussed being Newcastle United captain in the Champions League as he pushes to return from injury.
The 19-year-old suffered what has been described as a dead leg but later confirmed as muscle damage has prevented him from bending his knee properly.
He has missed the last five matches as a result and remains a doubt for the midweek trip to Qarabag in the Champions League.
“With Lewy, we're waiting sort of day by day,” Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe explained. “He's got a sort of dead leg. So he got a bad knock to his thigh. I think there's a little bit of muscle damage on the knock.
“So sort of having scans on it sort of every few days to see how that is. We don't think it's going to be long-term. Hopefully, he'll be back pretty quickly. So let's wait and see on that one.”
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Kieran Trippier & Lewis Miley on NUFC captaincy gesture
During the 3-0 win over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last month, Trippier was substituted and handed the captain’s armband to Miley to wear for the first time in a competitive game.
At 19, Miley had already become Newcastle’s youngest ever Premier League and Champions League starter and goalscorer. And he was briefly the club’s youngest ever captain in the Champions League as he saw out the win at St James’ Park with the armband.
“Honestly, it wasn't [planned],” Trippier said via Stansport. “It wasn't scripted at all. I don't know, I was just coming off and it's just a natural instinct, I saw Lewy, he'd come through the academy, Newcastle through and through and he'll never that moment captaining your boyhood club in the Champions League.
“His family was there so it was a proud moment for him and his family.”
Speaking about the moment to TNT Sports, Miley said: “It was random, to be honest. Trippier just came up and told me to put the armband on really.
“It was great obviously, I've watched this club my whole life really and to put the armband on in the Champions League, and my whole family were there so it couldn't be any better.”
A future captain for Newcastle United?
Afterwards, Howe tipped Miley as a future captain for Newcastle after watching the youngster progress from the academy into an important member of the first-team.
“Yes, very much so, I think he is potentially a future captain of the football club,” Howe said. “Which for someone so young is a big statement to make really, but I think it was a spontaneous moment from Kieran to give him the armband.
“I wanted to protect Kieran, try and give him the best chance to stay fit, so I thought it was the right time to withdraw him and give him the captaincy to leave.
“It was actually quite a poignant moment and a nice one for Louis and his family. I thought he was excellent again when he came on.”
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