Matt Targett has been ruled out of Newcastle's match against Manchester City on Saturday afternoon for a reason you seldom see.

Newcastle host the champions at St James' Park in the 12:30pm kick-off and could leapfrog them if they win by four or more goals. 

Eddie Howe's side have made a strong start to the season and sit sixth after six games with 10 points but suffered their first loss last time out to Fulham. 

Targett has not played this season and will not be making his return this weekend.

'Matt had a flare-up of eczema, so he's been nursing that the last couple of weeks,' Howe explained at his pre-match conference on Friday.

'It's been quite a bad episode for him. We're hoping to get him back to training, but he won't play this weekend.' 

Targett, 29, initially joined Newcastle on loan from Aston Villa in the 2021-22 season and was signed for £15million that summer on a four-year deal. 

Despite his promise in that loan spell, he has had three major injuries during his time in the North-East, and missed 35 games last season with long-term hamstring and Achilles blows. 

After the hamstring injury in November, he wrote on Instagram: 'Still finding it hard to get my head around the injury… felt so good going into the United game!!

'Completely bizarre injury to happen in a couple minutes of the game! Surgery went well yesterday so I’m on the mend. Determined to come back better then ever'.

More of a pressing concern for the first team is that Alexander Isak is a major doubt for the City game because of a broken toe. 

Mail Sport reported last week that the Swede was struggling with a fresh toe complaint and that a late call would be made on his participation at Fulham. He then played the full game during a 3-1 defeat but felt pain in the area.

Isak has not trained so far this week and Eddie Howe says a decision needs to be made on whether to risk the striker's long-term health.

‘He’s had scans and lots of tests,’ said Howe. ‘The injury has been diagnosed fine – it sounds worse than it is, but he’s got a broken toe. It’s one that can be managed and played with, provided he can tolerate the pain levels, and that will have no long-term risks. He had an injection to numb the pain, and that was fine until the injection wore off (at Fulham).

‘He'd be a doubt for tomorrow (Man City). He trained last week before the Fulham game on the Friday. He had an injection in his toe to play and he felt fine, but then he started to feel his toe in the last five to 10 minutes of that game.

‘Then after the game it sort of stiffened up and wasn't in a great place early in the week. He hasn't trained yet, so we'll have to make a decision again as to whether he trains today or he misses the game.’

With Callum Wilson also sidelined, Anthony Gordon will deputise if Isak cannot play.