Newcastle United are very likely to be without both strikers Ob Martins and Damien Duff for tonight’s 2nd round Carling Cup tie at Coventry City.
Oba is out for at least 2 weeks with a groin injury and we doubt very much that Damien will be risked tonight after sustaining a knee injury. Both injuries were picked up in the win against Bolton on Saturday.
But match-winner Michael Owen is likely to start tonight and it could well be that Alan Smith will need to be drafted in to play up from with the Newcastle captain.
But no doubt the injury situation will already be worrying Keegan, because our squad right now isn’t big enough to deal with any sort of injury crisis whatsoever.
Quite honestly we are not too sure at all what out Newcastle team will be, with Kevin saying he will play his best available side. But we’d be surprised if a place wasn’t given to Steve Harper and Sebastien Bassong, Jose Enrique and maybe even David Edgar, otherwise when will they ever get a chance?
We think we can still field a strong side, and the following line up would also give a game to some of our fringe players while giving a rest to some senior players
Harper
Beye Taylor Bassong Enrique
Geremi Guthrie Butt Gutierrez
Smith Owen
Substitutes: Given Edgar Coloccini Milner N’Zogbia Donaldson Zamblera
But don’t be surprised if Kevin plays more of the senior players in the starting line up.
Chris Coleman, the Coventry manager will also field an under-strength side in tonight’s Ricoh Arena, and he seems to have quite a few out injured himself.
We expect we can win the game tonight, and that would see us through to the next round, in a Cup we have the best chance of winning this season.
But we will not get very far if we don’t get more players into the squad before next Monday, that’s a certainty.
The next six days are starting to look critical for our season – far too critical for our liking.
Comments welcome.
59 comments so far
LATINAMERICATOON
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:09 PM
Comment #41I agree james!
I live in Peru and there are some good players available at the moment, two young guys have the countryu talking, especially raimond manco and Andrés Vásquez. I think we should go after Vasquez as a young and hungry play maker check out this goal http://www.surnoticias.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2936
tell me what you think. cheers
beyethegreat
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:09 PM
Comment #42what about zamblera a little worried that we are playing with 6 midfielders and ranger or donaldson probably will get a few miutes unless we need a goal then owen will come on
Matty
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Comment #43jonas and milner up top, biggest indication that we are looking to sell smith yet! if kk doesnt trust him against coventry then he will always use jonas milner duff or someone else in a league game when injuries hit us. both glad and surprised to see nile ranger on the bench having not heard any official news on him? hope to see him have a run out!
steve
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Comment #44hmm you gotta think that Smith and Ameobi are effectively sold if they can’t even make the bench when most of our strikers unfit – good times
Still no sign of incoming signings – bad times
Michael
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:10 PM
Comment #45NUFC:
Shay Given, Habib Beye, Jose Enrique, Fabricio Coloccini, Sebastien Bassong, Nicky Butt, Danny Guthrie, Geremi, Charles N’Zogbia, James Milner, Jonas Gutierrez
Subs:
Michael Owen, Steve Harper, Steven Taylor, David Edgar, Ryan Donaldson, Nile Ranger
Thats the team according to nufc.co.uk. No real strikers in the starting 11. Looks like spidey and milner up top.
Spyro
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:12 PM
Comment #46smith is injured guys, kk said something about it at the end of the bolton match
Spyro
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:14 PM
Comment #47Jonas can play striker if needed, and milner can play supporting striker if needed. It is a makeshift strikeforce, but at least Smith aint on the pitch 😀
smiley_nufc
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:14 PM
Comment #48Guthrie to score today – you heard it!
Come on you geordies!!!
James
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Comment #49Spyro – So that’s another £250K paid to Smith this month without him playing one single minute.
Talk about Ashley throwing money away….
beyethegreat
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Comment #50how good is this vasquez
ADtoonAM
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:15 PM
Comment #51anyone got a link for the match?
smiley_nufc
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:16 PM
Comment #52Anyone heard anything about cardozo -(spell) from benfica.
Heard a promising striker who we’ve already had a bid rejected for?
James
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:17 PM
Comment #53Gutierrez is our Ronaldo, and Man Utd wouldn’t hesitate to play Ronaldo that far forward, so why should we 🙂
SPIDERMAN SPIDERMAN!!
Tom
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:19 PM
Comment #54I was quite surprised that we only have six subs, and none of them are midfielders. I know we have enough of them on the park (!!!!) but still, there must be some reserves? Kazenga if he is fit? And why not include a reserve for the experience of going away with the first team to a competitive game? Tozer, Zamblera, Danquah, Godsmark etc etc etc
beyethegreat
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:19 PM
Comment #55adtoonam its on sky
James
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Comment #56Smily NUFC – Oscar Cardozo – scores goals for fun at Benefica, who claimed they turned down a £20 million bid from us at the start of the summer. Jeff Vitere is a big fan of him, tried to get him for Real Madrid a few seasons back.
ADtoonAM
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #57cheers beye, a thought it was on setanta then realised it wasnt checked ss1 but not ss2 lol
Toon1978
Aug 26, 2008 at 7:32 PM
Comment #58Click Post 17 i’m pretty much sure the match is on that link.
LATINAMERICATOON
Aug 26, 2008 at 8:09 PM
Comment #59beyethegreat. He was linked with a move to bayern last christmas, but has since gone to grasshopers zurich, he is a very good playmaker and is the swedish and peruvian FA’s are fighting over him to play for the national side. In peru they regard him on par or even higher than raimond manco. he has played 60 times scoring 4 goals for gotenberg including the rabona. Not too prolific but he is a playmaker and played 60 times at the age of 19 for gotenberg. watch this space