Newcastle United have been handed a huge boost after Florian Lejeune posted an update on his injury recovery to Instagram, seemingly suggesting that he will be back in training in one month.
The French defender has been missing at the start of the season due to a knee injury suffered over the summer, and his absence has been keenly felt after his good form last season.
Lejeune has now posted a video of himself running on a treadmill on his Instagram account, with the accompanying caption “1 month, keep going.”
While it is not clear what exactly the 6ft 3in colossus [Transfermarkt] is referring to, he does seem to be about a month away from training judging by the video, with that time frame being far too short for a return to first-team action.
OPINION
This is a huge boost for Newcastle, who have struggled with the influence of Lejeune at the back so far this season. The 27-year-old Frenchman really settled in well after his move from Eibar last summer, forming a brilliant partnership with Jamaal Lascelles at the back for the Magpies. His injury over the summer forced Rafa Benitez into the market for another centre-back, with the Spaniard settling on a £3million deal for Fabian Schar. When Lejeune does return to action, that will leave Benitez with the possibility of a back three containing Schar, Lascelles and Lejeune, which is a trio that looks extremely strong on paper. That is an exciting prospect for Magpies fans, who have seen their side fail to impress at the back so far this term. The poor form of Ciaran Clark shows the importance of getting Lejeune back as soon as possible, although they must be careful to not rush his recovery.