Magpies boss Glenn Roeder has been in touch with Given, and today revealed he should be discharged from hospital tomorrow before heading back to the north-east.

Roeder said: “Shay will be leaving hospital in the morning and be travelling back up to Newcastle.

“He has started to feel a lot better over the last couple of days. Even after the operation, he was in a fair amount of pain from surgery and needed to keep taking the painkillers.

“I have spoken to him every day and he is feeling a lot better.”

Given will be out for around six weeks, but will begin his rehabilitation over the next few days.

Roeder said: “Once we get him back up here at the weekend, then probably early next week, he can come back to the training ground.

“I know the surgeon and he said he had done a neat and tidy job, made the incision as small as possible so he can recover as quickly as possible.

“We are probably looking at around six weeks until Shay will be fit again.”