Medical staff at Newcastle United fear that forward Andy Carroll will not be able to start a game until after Christmas, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claim on their website that despite making his return in an eight-minute cameo off the bench against Brighton on Saturday, the 30-year-old’s rehabilitation could continue into the new year.
The Telegraph reports that the ankle injury sustained at West Ham United was career-threatening and that there are major doubts surrounding what impact he can make on Steve Bruce’s side in the short term.
It is suggested that the likelihood of Carroll starting a game in the near future are “extremely slim”, with his involvement confined to appearances off the bench.
OPINION
After suffering with ankle problems in the past 12 months, it comes as no surprise to see that Carroll will not be able to start games in the near future. The 30-year-old had to undergo surgery twice in the past year to try and solve his problem and missed a combined total of 246 days, and 24 games according to Transfermarkt. The experienced forward will need to be managed sensibly by Bruce after he took a gamble on his fitness during the summer. With rehabilitation continuing on the problem, starting Carroll when it isn’t necessary could lead to another extended period on the sidelines. After his reception at St James’ Park on Saturday against Brighton, Magpies’ fans will surely have been hoping that they could see more of their colossal forward in the coming weeks, but that seems unlikely with this news. Bruce will surely now look to limit the experienced forward in future games and will have one eye on making sure that Carroll can play a big part in the second half of the season.
