Santon Setback

http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport...astle-hit-by-pre-season-injury-blow-1-6725739

AVIDE Santon’s will miss the start of Newcastle United’s season – and is unlikely to play again until September.

The defender is recovering from a knee injury and is not due back in training until late next month.

Santon has been doing rehabilitation work on Tyneside this week while his team-mates have been put through their paces by Newcastle manager Alan Pardew and Dave Billows, the club’s new head of fitness, on the first week of pre-season.

And the 23-year-old is not expected to travel to New Zealand with the rest of United’s squad late next week for the club’s Football United Tour 2014 pre-season fixtures against Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix.

“Davide will miss all pre-season,” Pardew told the Gazette.

“He’ll probably start training at the end of August. He’s given us great versatility – he can play left-back, right-back and in midfield, where I used him one or two times last year.

“He’s an important player for us, and we’ll miss him.

“But the most important thing is getting him right.

“Otherwise, everybody’s fit and well, though we’re missing the World Cup players.”

Santon missed a lot of football in the second half of last season because of injury, and a hamstring problem sidelined him for the last few weeks of the campaign.

And the Italy international, having missed pre-season, will be left playing catch up with his fitness when he is able to return to training.

Pardew will now assess Massadio Haidara, Paul Dummett and fit-again Ryan Taylor ahead of the club’s season-opener against Manchester City at St James’s Park on August 16.

Dummett, 22, had a run in the side during Santon’s absence late last term.

However, 21-year-old Haidara started the club’s final game of the season, the defeat to Liverpool at Anfield.

Taylor, meanwhile, is back in training after recovering from a second cruciate ligament injury.

The versatile 29-year-old has been sidelined for almost two years.

Newcastle will err on the side of caution with Taylor given his long absence.

 

Hopefully Haidara will get a run out, but I think we all know it'll be Colback.

 

I'd start with Haidara even if Santon was fit.

 

This.

Haidara brings more defensive qualities and is harder to knock off the ball.

 

Santon will be our right back when we fail to get Janmaat over the line

 

From what I've seen of Janmaat, he looks better than that bloke we sold to Arsenal.

 

I can see Haidara on the left and Raylor on the right quite easy.

 

No. Just no. Not even in the same league. He might in the future but right no Debuchy is the best rb in England

 

Shame. I'd like to see him sold and a proper left back brought in as well as Janmaat. Failing that move him to the right or further forward.

 

To left wing, where he'll be 10 yards ahead of where he was?

 

We have to try something, he is a poor left back. For an Italian who treasure defending correctly and have had some of best in history (particularly positionally), I don't know what happened in his formative years. Lacks cynicism, nous, and is a bit of a pussy. Not good traits for a defender.

I suppose the popular moronic thought would be to blame Pardew so lets go with that. Been Pardewed blah blah blah.

Can we not ask the greatest footballer in history Franco Baresi to pop over for some lessons.

 

*spits drink all over the room laughing*

Are you serious?

 

Exactly like anyone is better than Danny Simpson

 

Completely agree.