ALAN PARDEW admits Gabriel Obertan is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after damaging his thigh during Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Liverpool.

Obertan fell to the floor clutching his thigh midway through the first half of Saturday’s victory, with the incident occurring as he sprinted up the touchline without an opposition player involved.

After a lengthy spell of treatment on the field, the French winger was lifted onto a stretcher and carried around the perimeter of the pitch before hobbling down the tunnel.

An initial assessment of his injury suggested he had torn a thigh muscle, but more detailed scans tomorrow should reveal the full extent of the problem.

The prognosis is unlikely to be too positive, and after making a major contribution to Newcastle’s recent upturn in form, Obertan now finds himself facing a lengthy absence.

Pardew said: “The only sour note of the day was Obertan’s injury. He has been a big part of the success in these last few weeks, and it is a bad one.

“We are all sad for Gabby, and we just hope it is not too bad. But he has done something to his thigh muscle.”

In Obertan’s absence, Ayoze Perez scored the second-half winner that secured Newcastle’s third league win in succession and lifted them to 11th in the table after the remainder of Saturday’s matches.

Pardew enjoyed a victory over Liverpool in his first game as Newcastle manager, and having suffered at the hands of the Anfield club on a number of occasions since then, he was delighted to start redressing the balance.

He said: “It was a great day for us. Liverpool are always a big target for this club and we have had some big games against them.

“This was not an enthralling encounter, but it was interesting. Brendan (Rodgers) surprised me with his formation and that unsettled us as first.

“We struggled to have a foothold, but we have such pace in the team and we can defend deep. The back four were terrific.”