Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will not return to the touchline until he has fully recovered from his battle with pneumonia, assistant coach Jason Tindall has said.
Howe, who was admitted to hospital last week, missed Newcastle's 4-1 win over Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday. He will also miss the club's next two games against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.
Tindall said he has only had a small amount of communication with Howe in recent days but said he does not expect him to rush back into action.
"It's just been a few text messages yesterday. The most important thing for the manager now is to rest and recover and probably not worry too much about anything other than making sure he is recovering as quickly as possible," Tindall told a news conference on Tuesday.
"Maybe in the next couple of days, if he is feeling better, maybe we will have a little more dialogue.
"I am sure when Eddie does return, he will probably ease himself in into the role. It's important when he comes back, he will be able to lead the team like he always does. Hopefully we can have him here as our leader as soon as possible but only when he is 100% right to do so."
Newcastle, who are fourth in the Premier League, are locked in a fierce battle to qualify for next season's Champions League, with the top five teams earning a place.