Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe hopes Kieran Trippier and Callum Wilson will not be sidelined for too long with respective groin and calf injuries.
The two players were not in the squad for Monday's 4-2 loss at Liverpool.
"In the last game, they both picked up injuries. We don't think they are too serious," Howe said.
"Thankfully, January is not as busy as December was but we'll wait and see how long they will be out for.
"We haven't really been training. We've been playing every three days. The squad was really stretched. We have had to protect the players we've had who were fit and available.
"December was a really difficult month to navigate, but we're through that now, and hopefully we can return to ourselves."
Trippier and Wilson join a lengthy Newcastle injury list also including the likes of Nick Pope, Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy, Jamaal Lascelles and Joe Willock.
After the match at Liverpool, they play an FA Cup third-round tie, a Tyne-Wear derby at Sunderland on Saturday, before returning to Premier League action on 13 January at home to Manchester City.
Howe revealed post-match on Monday that he thinks Newcastle will get Trippier back "pretty quickly" and that Wilson will miss the next two matches.
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Fantasy Premier League significance
It is bad news too for millions of Fantasy Premier League managers who own Trippier, in particular.
Trippier is the most-owned defender in the game, found in over 39 per cent of squads. But those who started him will now be hoping for a good score from their auto-sub.
