Newcastle United confirmed today that Matt Ritchie has successfully undergone surgery on his ankle.
Ritchie was injured after a challenge by Hamza Choudhury as Leicester City beat the Magpies on penalties.
The converted wing-back is an influential member on the pitch as well as in the dressing room and his presence has been greatly missed.
Striving for a swift return.
Ritchie is a commanding figure on the pitch and demands the highest possible standards from the rest of his teammates.
Steve Bruce will be delighted to hear Ritchie's operation was a success and that he can fully recover as soon as possible.
The 30-year old has been an ever-present in the Newcastle side since joining in 2016 as he dropped down into the Championship.
Therefore he has been a huge miss for Bruce as he only has Jetro Willems who can comfortably play as a left wing-back.
The return of Ritchie could see himself and Willems rotate in that position or Bruce pushing Ritchie further forward.
Well-timed return
Ritchie's return could come at the perfect time for Newcastle as they head into a hectic winter period as he is expected to be back in training within the next two weeks.
Newcastle confirmed that they are expecting Ritchie to be back in first-team action by the end of October.
He was deployed predominantly as a wing-back under Rafa Benitez, however, with Willems performing very well bruce more try and play him in a more advanced role this season.