Newcastle United forward Andy Carroll has returned to light training following his second ankle surgery, according to the Chronicle.
Steve Bruce is said to be very keen on adding Carroll to his attacking options at St James’ Park but would like the 30-year-old to have at least a couple of weeks training behind him before including him on matchdays.
The Chronicle report that Carroll has sustained no further problems on his ankle injury since returning to light training in his behind-the-scene sessions.
Carroll has undergone two separate surgeries on his ankle in the past year, with the second of those forcing him to miss the end of last season.
OPINION
With limited options available to Bruce in the final third, there is no surprise that he is keen to add Carroll into the mix in the near future. After pushing a man from midfield into the attacking three, Newcastle have looked a different team in the previous couple of weeks – creating more chances as a result. Injury to Allan Saint-Maximin means that Christian Atsu has been given the chance to deputise, with Yoshinori Muto now the only recognised out-and-out striker available off the bench for Bruce. Since the beginning of 2018 Carroll has missed 37 games through injury [Transfermarkt] so Newcastle would be smart to reintroduce him slowly in the future to avoid any future hiccups. Once fully fit, the 30-year-old can be a real asset with his physicality, with the forward having won an average of 9.1 aerial battles in the last season he started more than 10 games [WhoScored]. Bruce will be ready to throw Carroll into the mix at Newcastle, who will surely be ready to benefit from his physicality and prowess.
