The teenager is not ready for a return leaving Eddie Howe with less options going into the clash at the Etihad Stadium meaning Lewis Miley could have missed more than a month of action by the time he gets back
Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley
Newcastle United midfielder Lewis Miley
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Lewis Miley could end up missing a month of action after Newcastle United ruled him out of at least two more games.
Speaking at his Friday morning Press conference, Howe was asked about the versatile teenager's injury status and insisted he was not ready for a return.
The 19-year-old last played in the 1-1 draw against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League at the Parc des Princes.
He was then unused during the 4-1 hammering at Liverpool when it was explained he could not bend his knee. That then progressed to a "dead leg" but it has been classed as a muscle injury going into the next run of fixtures.
Howe said today: "Lewie Miley still has a little bit to go. Without going into too much medical stuff which is beyond me, it was a dead leg, but it disturbed a bit of the muscle."
Howe offered a potential two week window for Miley to return meaning he could well be absent for not only Man City and Qarabag but also the last game of this month against Everton at St James' Park.
The head-coach said: "I don’t think he’s too far away, nothing more than a week or a couple of weeks maximum, but we’ve been told that we’ve got to be careful with it.”
Perhaps a more realistic comeback date for Miley could be the big clash with Manchester United on Tyneside on March 4, while Howe will want the Stanley lad involved against Man City in the FA Cup three days later.
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