OPINION
Andy Carroll could reportedly make his second debut for Newcastle United on September 14 when the Magpies take on Liverpool at Anfield.
According to the Times, the 30-year-old striker hopes to fully recover from an ankle injury to play in that game, where he would also be playing against the club who signed him from Newcastle for £35million back in 2011 for what then made him the most expensive British player of all time.
It could be a big day for the towering centre-forward after Steve Bruce put his faith in him and re-signed him on deadline day for free after West Ham decided against renewing his contract at the end of last season.
Joelinton will no doubt be Bruce’s first-choice striker in the meantime but it will be interesting to see if Carroll can challenge the £40million Brazilian for his spot in the starting line-up once he is up to speed.
Newcastle cannot rush the striker back to fitness, especially with all the injuries he has had in his career, so even if playing him against Liverpool has the slightest of risks involved, Bruce should opt to keep Carroll on the bench or completely out of the squad.
Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto are also going to be on standby.
Gayle has been injured for much of the pre-season and wasn’t fit enough to get in the matchday squad against Arsenal on Sunday while Muto remained an unused substitute.
Carroll might be able to force himself ahead of them in the pecking order but Joelinton is going to be the man that he needs to budge out of the way.
