Premier League strugglers Newcastle United have confirmed that goalkeeper Rob Elliot suffered a serious knee injury on international duty with the Republic of Ireland.

Elliot, 29, will miss the remainder of the season and several more months, including Euro 2016, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

"Thank you to everyone for their kind messages," Elliot wrote on Twitter. "Will come back stronger! Feel so lucky to have so much support behind me. Love to everyone."

Newcastle also lost first-choice stopper Tim Krul to a serious knee injury earlier this season.

Rafael Benitez's side are 19th in the table, three points from safety, with just eight matches of the season remaining.