There have been only four ever-presents in the Newcastle United Premier League XI so far this season. By Monday night, that number will have reduced by at least one, with an enforced change thrust upon Steve Bruce.

While Martin Dubravka, Miguel Almiron and Joelinton look likely to start their 13th consecutive league matches, Jamaal Lascelles has already been ruled out, having departed St James’ Park before the international break on crutches and with his right leg in a brace.

The club confirmed last Thursday that Lascelles will be out “until the new year” after suffering a knee injury during the 2-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth. Sources indicate that the 26-year-old will spend between two and three months on the sidelines, meaning he will miss all of the hectic festive fixture list, and is set to sit out between nine and 14 games.

For any club to lose their captain for between a quarter and a third of a season is without doubt a blow, yet confirmation of the severity of Lascelles’ injury did not cause the alarm you would perhaps expect.

Not only is he the club captain, but the defender has also started 123 of Newcastle’s last 141 league games. However, his prolonged absence does not feel significantly damaging. Disappointing, yes, but not disastrous.

That is because if there is one position on the field where Newcastle can absorb an injury, then it is at centre-back.

There are some who argue that Lascelles, on playing ability alone, would not make Newcastle’s best XI. The former defender and BBC Newcastle summariser John Anderson is among them.

Yet, while from a defensive standpoint Newcastle may not be weakened by Lascelles’ absence, what is untested is how they will cope without his leadership.

The former Nottingham Forest defender is into his fourth season as Newcastle skipper, having been awarded the armband during the summer of 2016 at just 22 years of age by Benitez. The ex-Newcastle manager was impressed by Lascelles’ honesty and commitment during the 2015-16 relegation season, when he departed the field at Goodison Park shouting, “No one gives a fuck”, before publicly questioning the “heart and desire” of his more-experienced team-mates at Southampton a few weeks later.

Those characteristics endeared Benitez to the raw centre-back, who the Spaniard felt he could mould into not only a top-flight defender, but also a top-flight captain.

Benitez helped Lascelles hone his leadership skills during the Championship-winning campaign of 2016-17, before the defender then grew into the captaincy role during the two full Premier League campaigns since. Rarely does Lascelles refuse an interview after a game, and rarely does he go hiding during a match, even when his limitations in possession are sometimes exposed by sides who press high up the field.

Now this squad faces a new challenge: how to cope without their leader.

Over the past three seasons, the highest number of consecutive matches Lascelles has missed was five games between November and December 2017, when he suffered an ankle problem. Aside from a three-game stretch last season and a two-match period once promotion was confirmed back in 2016-17, Lascelles has not sat out successive league fixtures since he was appointed captain.

Who will wear the armband in his absence is intriguing, given that Bruce has never publicly declared who his vice-captain is. Aside from confirming to The Chronicle in July that Lascelles would be his captain — “Why would I want to change that?” Bruce said — he has rarely spoken about the captaincy, primarily because it has not been an issue given that Lascelles has performed his duties so well.

As a Geordie, an academy graduate and a dependable defender, Paul Dummett will certainly be at the forefront of Bruce’s thoughts. When Lascelles left the field eight minutes early due to injury during the 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in August, it was Dummett who stepped in as captain.

But, during the Carabao Cup second-round defeat by Leicester City, Jonjo Shelvey wore the armband, which he was also handed by Lascelles when he was substituted in the 20th minute of the 2-1 win over Bournemouth. Shelvey’s unpredictability — both as a player and a personality — do not necessarily make him obvious captaincy material, but he is an authoritative voice within the dressing room, and having the armband does seem to bring added maturity to his performances.

Last season, meanwhile, Ciaran Clark started two matches as captain, while Fernandez also joined Dummett and Shelvey in skippering the side at various points, with both centre-backs boasting Premier League experience and calming reassurance out on the field.

Isaac Hayden, due to his refreshing honesty in public and his consistent performances in midfield, is also among the candidates, as is goalkeeper Dubravka, given that he is 30 years of age and is pretty much guaranteed to start. Cases could also be made for Schar and Florian Lejeune, too, given their collective experience and the fact they also play the same position as the captain himself.

However, perhaps the most natural captain within the squad, aside from Lascelles, is another whose fitness is uncertain. Matt Ritchie is very much the spiritual leader of the team; his infectious intensity positively influences the team, while his waspish tendencies prevent his team-mates from allowing their standards to drop.

His vocal leadership has been sorely missed, or at least it had been until Newcastle’s five-game revival, during which time they have collected 10 points from 15. Ritchie suffered another setback on his ankle injury before the international break, meaning his return-to-play date remains uncertain, although his chances of starting at Villa Park appear slim.

Bruce will therefore need to determine who else could best fill the captaincy void left by Lascelles’ absence. During his first four months at the helm, Bruce has not only been evaluating the playing ability of his squad, but also assessing the character and leadership credentials of his players.

Having captained Manchester United to Premier League titles during his playing days, Bruce recognises the attributes which a successful skipper needs, and it will be interesting to see who he selects as his stand-in on-field general.

Privately, Shelvey and Dummett are considered by other squad members as the unofficial vice-captains. They have been afforded such responsibility before, and are among the most-experienced voices within the dressing room. But neither has been an automatic in the XI this season — Shelvey has made six starts, and Dummett seven — and neither has captained the team for an extended stretch.

While there is little doubt that, with six centre-backs, Newcastle can swallow Lascelles’ absence from a playing point of view, their ability to manage without his on-field leadership for such a sustained period is untested.

Collective responsibility will go some way towards addressing that, but individual leaders will need to step up, too.

Who Bruce chooses to be his stand-in skipper could have a significant bearing on how Newcastle perform over the winter months.