Newcastle's De Jong suffers collapsed lung

Former Ajax captain De Jong has made just two Premier League appearances for Newcastle since arriving at St James' Park last July.

The 26-year-old has not played since August due to a persistent thigh injury, and his frustrating season has now taken another turn for the worse, with Newcastle announcing on Tuesday that he will miss another eight weeks with a collapsed lung - an issue he also suffered with in 2013.

"After four months of hard work getting back to full fitness it is such bad luck to suffer another setback," De Jong told Newcastle's official website.

"We are all hopeful that the surgery I will have this week will ensure I don't have any repeat of the condition in the future.

"It's very sad for me personally, especially since I was almost back in contention and feeling great. I'm sorry for my team-mates, the club and our fans that I'm not able to help the team for a little while longer.

"I am determined to come back stronger as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone for your support."