NEWCASTLE UNITED have suffered a significant injury blow, with striker Salomon Rondon having been ruled out of Saturday’s home game with Leicester City.

Rondon is struggling with a thigh injury, meaning Joselu is set to return to the starting line-up against the Foxes.

Rondon damaged his thigh in last weekend’s goalless draw at Crystal Palace, with the injury forcing him off at the interval at Selhurst Park.

Newcastle’s medical staff had hoped the problem would respond to treatment this week, but that has not proved to be the case and Rafael Benitez has accepted the Venezuelan will have to sit out Saturday’s game.

He is also a doubt for next weekend’s trip to Manchester United, which precedes a two-week international break.

A Newcastle statement said: “Rondon is undergoing treatment with the Magpies’ medical team and further assessment of the extent of the injury will be made in due course.”

Rondon is yet to make much of an impact since joining Newcastle on loan from West Brom this summer, and is still to score a Premier League goal for the Magpies. He found the net in the Carabao Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest, but his latest setback is another blow as he attempts to establish himself as his new employers’ first-choice centre-forward.

Joselu has fared reasonably well this term, scoring in the home defeats to Tottenham and Chelsea, but the Spaniard is hardly a consistent goalscorer and Leicester will be buoyed by his presence in the starting line-up.

The Foxes have an injury concern of their own though, with Demarai Gray having been stretchered off with his leg in a brace during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup win at Wolves.

The winger is a major doubt for Saturday’s game, but Wes Morgan is available to return to the heart of the back four after missing last weekend’s win over Huddersfield Town through suspension.