He's fit mate. Only popped his shoulder. Was running less than a week later. He wasn't rushed back last time, he was carefully monitored. This injury was a freak accident that could have happened to anybody (and could have been much worse). He's been waiting for the swelling and pain to go back down that's all. His fitness levels will be cock on mate you'll be sad to hear.
Good to hear as I (and I think most Newcastle fans) don't want you guys to go down and I think that's only likely if a few keys players have bad luck this season - in some positions your backup players look a bit championship level (though you could say the same about many Premiership teams). Plus I want you to have a full strength team for us to beat on the 27th, no fun in trashing the reserves.
Sounds like you're setting up your excuses incase you get beat and Colo is injured. Touch and go with Colo at the moment isn't it?
Apparently so. I didn't know much about it until today. Our back line has been really good or really bad in most games this season and has yet to really look impressive so with or without Colo we're hardly a formidable opponent. Not actually confident about the derby but suspect you guys aren't either so we can at least be confident that someone will get points that day. Given our terrible defensive frailties, the cauldron derby atmosphere and the return of a key striker I would put my money on a 0-0 with lots of passion and a glaring lack of real skill.
The occasion is enough. Can't think about the game result, besides, anything could happen. Pardew makes me smile everytime he opens his trap as everything Derby related blows up in his face. Thought he would have learnt by now. Paid for my tickets today really hard to find two together apart from up in the rafters or directly beneath you lot. They're not selling well beneath you lot like. We must be expecting trouble. Can't wait me like. Love the Derby.
STEVEN Fletcher has made a much swifter return from a shoulder injury sustained last month and could potentially feature in this weekend’s game against Swansea City. The Sunderland striker was badly hurt when he fell heavily on his shoulder in what turned out to be Paolo Di Canio’s last game as head coach – the 3-0 defeat at West Brom on September 21. Although the injury was not as bad as first feared, it was still expected to sideline the Scottish international for up to six weeks. But less than a month after the incident, Fletcher (right)is pushing for a first-team return with Black Cats boss Gus Poyet revealing there is every likelihood that the forward might feature in Saturday’s game at the Liberty Stadium. “There is a big possibility,” Poyet confirmed. “It’s some of the very good news from this week. “Every player is important but we know in football that there is a few positions that are key; the goalkeeper, the spine of the team and the main man up front scoring goals. “We need goals; we need players who have got the ability and Fletcher is one of those players.” Poyet recognises he will need his strongest possible side if Sunderland are to topple Swansea – a club he has every admiration for. “I think they had the perfect approach,” he said. “The club is balanced. They’ve changed manager but they’ve tried to maintain that philosophy. “That a big advantage for any manager who goes there. “What a difference with Swansea as a club now. “There’s a team who have been playing five or six years in the same way and they’re slowly getting better and better. “It’s a big contrast – we have a few problems, we have changed manager and we have got a new group of players. But at 3pm its 11v11, one referee, two linesmen and it’s all about what you do in those two hours. “We will go there to win. We need to win football games. We cannot go to places looking to get just one point.”
Pain wise it's a ****er I know, popped my elbow before. What I meant by only, is that it's a short term injury.
Yeah thought so!! I did it in the middle of a kick boxing tournament in Shields - sadly nothing exciting I just tripped over the mat in the middle of a fight and landed on it!!
@SkySports_Keith Good news for Sunderland fans is Scottish duo Steven Fletcher and Phil Bardsley trained with the squad this morning ahead of Swansea match.
Just listening to gustavo on the radio saying he has challenged fletch to make a scoring return on saturday
Sounds great. I was at West Brom and when he went down everyone thought '****, 6 months'. We now have enough good players to do well enough to finish mid-table if they all 'do a Catts' and play to their capabilities. We won 3-0 at Newcastle, with a worse side than we can put out now, so I've no worries about the derby either.
Marvelous to have him back like, i must say i feared the worst aswell, got a canny feeling about swansea like, nowt to lose, hope he goes for it, think the nags are more nervous than us, 0-3 without fletcher, colo has groined himself (usually motm at our place) and remy is suffering whiplash so i'm told Ftm!
