He missed the club’s Capital One Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur – and this month’s FA Cup third round tie against Leicester City.
Tim Krul "Don't blame Jak."
Newcastle were fifth in the Premier League when Krul suffered an ankle injury in late November, with hopes of challenging for a European place.
But the campaign has a very different feel about it now, with United 10th in the league and out of both domestic cups.
Tim Krul: “It’s been hugely frustrating – I’m not a good spectator at all.
“There were a lot of games over the Christmas period. It wasn’t enjoyable to watch them at all, but it happens.
“Unfortunately, injuries happen, and for me, it’s just unfortunate that it happened at the busiest period of the year.
“I missed a lot of football and some massive games.
Jak Alnwick under fire
“Jak stepped in and had some really difficult games to deal with.
“In my opinion, he did well. He’s obviously a young goalkeeper, and the experience will be massive for him.
“On a personal note, I’ve recharged my batteries again.
“It’s not nice to be injured, but it’s a nice feeling to have been reminded how much I miss it.
“My batteries are recharged for the second half of the season, and I’m just looking forward to the next 17 games now.
“Because of the World Cup I hadn’t really had a break for the best part of two years.
“You never want to be injured, but it was nice to step away, be with the family and get a bit of a different perspective on things.
“It made me appreciate how much I enjoy all of this, and allowed me to make sure my body was fine. I was able to recover properly, and I feel really ready to rumble now for the second half of the season.
“I’ve been around the training ground for the last few weeks, so I feel as though I’ve been part of everything that’s been happening.
“It’s strange to lose your manager, but things happen like that.”