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Rafael Benitez has confirmed attacking midfielder Siem de Jong has been sent home from Newcastle's pre-season training camp in Ireland after picking up yet another injury.

De Jong has been plagued by injuries since joining Newcastle in 2014 and, as a result, has only made 22 appearances for the club.

And the 27-year-old's bad luck looks set to continue after Benitez confirmed his latest injury.

"I was close to him and he tried to keep the ball in with his heel, and there was a problem with his hamstring," the Spaniard told the Shields Gazette.

"That can sometimes happen. It was a bad movement, but it was a positive thing in terms of trying to get the ball and fighting for that."

Attacking midfield could be a position where Newcastle find themselves light this season w Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko, who is capable of operating on the right side of an offensive trio, continue to be linked with a move away from St. James' Park.

New Everton manager Ronald Koeman is said to be interested in compatriot Wijnaldum, while Sissoko is attracting interest from Borussia Dortmund.

Newcastle, though, have allegedly set a £35m price tag on Sissoko after he put in some impressive displays at Euro 2016 for France. But Benitez has insisted he does not want to sell the Frenchman or Wijnaldum and told Sky Sports: "We want to keep them, so I will not talk about money. We want the right balance and we will make the right decision for the club."