Steve McClaren has suggested that goalkeeper Tim Krul's season-ending injury could cost struggling Newcastle United as many as 20 points this season.
The Netherlands stopper suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage on international duty last week and will miss the rest of the 2015-16 season as a result.
Rob Elliot is ready to deputise for the 27-year-old, but McClaren says that the winless Magpies - who sit rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table - will suffer.
"It's a massive blow for us, you're talking about one of the best players in our team. He's a vital player, very important, and he'd get us 18 or 20 points a season with the way he plays," he is quoted as saying by The Mirror.
"To lose that is devastating. We've had a couple of days to get over it, but for him, the shock of starting to get injured is starting to appear. In the last day or two, he's been a little bit down, but that's football and he'll recover.
"He'll get the best treatment and a good operation, and we wish him well with that. In the meantime, it's time for Rob Elliot to step forward and fill his boots. He needs to step up and perform."
United host Norwich City at St James' Park this Sunday.
Shane Callaghan
