Newcastle United's hopes of registering a fourth win on the spin will be hampered by Emil Krafth coming into the Magpies' starting line-up at West Ham United, according to journalist Pete O'Rourke.
Eddie Howe has guided the Tynesiders to three consecutive victories, allowing Newcastle to climb four points clear of the Premier League's relegation zone, but he will be forced into making a change at right-back as Kieran Trippier is unavailable.
Why will Newcastle be without Trippier at West Ham?
Newcastle spent £12million to welcome Trippier to St James' Park from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid last month and he has already shown why Howe wanted to make the 31-year-old his first signing.
Trippier found the back of the net with free-kicks in back-to-back fixtures, but he was substituted after grabbing what proved to be the winner against Aston Villa last weekend.
An X-ray has revealed that Trippier has sustained a fracture to the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot, meaning he will be unavailable for the Magpies' upcoming fixtures.
Former Newcastle midfielder Jermaine Jenas has described the setback as 'disastrous' news as Howe's side aim to maintain their Premier League status.
Although the Magpies have yet to confirm how long Trippier is likely to be on the sidelines for, the 35-cap England international is expected to return to action before the end of the season.
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What has Pete O'Rourke said about the situation?
O'Rourke believes Trippier's absence will come as a major blow to Newcastle and expects Krafth to be drafted into Howe's starting line-up.
The likelihood of Krafth slotting into the right-back position has increased after it was confirmed Javier Manquillo is out of action for two weeks.
But O'Rourke feels Krafth will not be able to offer Newcastle the same quality down the right-hand side as Trippier.
The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: "I don't think he can offer what Kieran Trippier offers to that Newcastle team right now."
How has Krafth performed so far this season?
Prior to replacing the injured Trippier against Aston Villa, Krafth had not featured in the Premier League in more than a month.
Even before Trippier's arrival, the 38-cap Sweden international had failed to nail down a regular spot in Newcastle's team.
The 27-year-old, who moved to Tyneside in a £5million deal two-and-a-half years ago, goes into the trip to West Ham having enjoyed just 766 minutes of action this season.