Nicklas Bendtner is a doubt for Martin OβNeillβs debut bow at the Stadium of Light. Andre Santos expects to be out for three weeks, while Alan Pardew is still hopeful of having Fabricio Coloccini for Newcastle’s trip to Norwich on Saturday.
Spurs have confirmed this morning that Jermaine Jenas is likely to be out for the rest of the season. The midfielder, on loan at Aston Villa, picked up an Achilles injury in last weekendβs game against Man United and has since undergone surgery, with his parent club expecting him to be ready for the start of pre-season.
Blackburn skipper Chris Samba has backed Yakubu to grab 20 goals for the Ewood Park outfit this season after the Nigerianβs 4 goals against Swansea took his league tally to 9 for the season. The former Everton striker is proving a cut-price Fantasy Premier League gem so far this season and Samba revealed that facing Yakubu in training each week is keeping him on top of his own game.
Nicklas Bendtner may be out of Sunderlandβs game with Blackburn on Sunday, according to Martin OβNeill. The new Black Cats boss is facing a forward crisis, with Dong Won-Ji and perhaps Ryan Noble vying with Stephane Sessegnon for a chance to lead the line in his first game in charge in the event of the big Dane’s absence. OβNeill admitted:
Nicklas has a groin problem and weβll see how he is towards the weekend. But if the game was today, he wouldnβt make it as it stands.
While OβNeill also revealed he is considering recalling Asamoah Gyan from his loan spell with Al-Ain, reports suggest this is unlikely to materialize. The UAE club paid a substantial fee for the strikerβs services and have seventeen leagues games still to play this season. Factor in Gyanβs African Cup of Nations duties with Ghana in the New Year, where he could be unavailable for up to six weeks, and the odds seem stacked against an early Wearside return.
Kenny Dalglish has revealed Liverpool have no fresh injury worries ahead of this weekendβs clash against QPR. Steven Gerrard is still ruled out but with Lucas sidelined for the season and Jay Spearing suspended for three games, the Reds boss has talked up the prospects of Jonjo Shelvey. The youngster was recalled from a loan spell at Blackpool due to Lucasβ injury and grabbed a couple of goals for the reserves in midweek.
Dalglish, while revealing the club wonβt appeal Spearingβs ban, was scathing in his assessment of the FAβs handling of the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra case. Suarez was charged with improper conduct for a gesture in Monday nightβs match at Fulham but his manager is furious with the fact that the authorities have still failed to act on the alleged racism charge which has been hanging over Suarez’s head for nine weeks now.
Cheik Tiote and Danny Guthrie have both been ruled out of Newcastleβs trip to Norwich on Saturday. Alan Pardew reckons there is an βoutside chanceβ that Fabricio Coloccini will be available for the Carrow Road showdown but was deliberately cagey over his central defensive plans:
I don’t want to give too much away. We had no centre halves by the end against Chelsea and 10 men on the pitch. Tamas is an option and up to speed- he is looking to kickstart his Newcastle career. Davide (Santon) and Danny (Simpson) are options.
Pardew also admitted Guthrie could be out of action for up to six weeks, though on a more positive not, announced that Steven Taylor has undergone successful surgery on his injured Achilles.
Andre Santos has confirmed he expects to be sidelined for three weeks. The Arsenal left-back picked up an ankle injury in the Champions League game at Olympiacos on Tuesday and has now received a prognosis of the problem after a doctorβs assessment. Reports suggest youngster Martin Angha could be promoted to the first-team with Arsene Wengerβs side so limited for options, though itβs more likely that Thomas Vermaelen will move from the centre to cover on the flank.
