Bad news today for Newcastle United, in that Nacho Gonzalez, who has been out for several weeks with an Achilles problem, has undergone Achilles surgery and will now be out for four months.
Nacho Gonzalez – out until next March
Nacho has hardly played for the Newcastle side this season, and we had been wondering just when he would return from his Achilles injury, which he seems to have had for a couple of months now.
Why this operation has been delayed by two months we have no idea, but it doesn’t look good, and there has been some mis-diagnosis of the extent of the injury. This will be even more reason for Newcastle to build up their squad as much as they can in the January transfer window.
It also shows the folly of not getting enough players in during the summer. Hopefully we will have some stability by January, with a new owner and a permanent manager.
Other long term injuries we have at Newcastle are also Achilles injuries that Mark Viduka and Alan Smith (remember him?), and have been out all season so far and are unlikely to return before the end of the year.
To say our squad is too small right now, with 3 long term injuries would be a massive under-statement.
The 26-year-old Uruguay international – signed on the last day of the transfer window, September 1st, from Valencia – has made just two Premier League appearances, the last one coming almost two months ago, in the 3-1 defeat to West Ham United in London.
The operation he has had means that Gonzalez’s loan spell at the club should really be called off, because it is probably March before he will be available to play again. We assume something was written in the agreement that would cover long term injuries like this – but we shouldn’t hold our breath.
It makes the task given to Joe Kinnear even more difficult, when three senior players have not been available to him, in his almost 7 weeks at the club.
Comments welcome.
51 comments so far
DanToon
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:11 PM
Comment #1He was a massive waste of time then!
lol
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:14 PM
Comment #2so? whos he like? lol
Nick 69
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Comment #3terminate his loan and send him back, waste of time
VikingToon
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:23 PM
Comment #4thank God he’s just on loan!
The Alchemist
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Comment #5May aswell have kept Emre tbh……Probably would have at least got one or two games out of him by now.
I’d like Xisco to get a run to see what he can do but send this one back to Spain!
Tom_Toon
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Comment #6I’ll wai for official confirmation from the club rather than listening to the chronicle.
Rasko a.k.a Hadji
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Comment #7Its called ”Easy money”
Tom1664 (XiscoIsAPirate)
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:25 PM
Comment #8Not the recruitment team’s finest hour…
hitman
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Comment #9i guess kk was reet to walk…….
CHUCK
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Comment #10Someone must have seen ability in both Gonzales and Xisco, too bad they have`nt had a real opportunity to show us, who knows could be compareable to Colo. and Jonas, guess we will have to wait to find out, unless of course they are sold during the window to generate cash.
Spyro
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:35 PM
Comment #11“i guess kk was reet to walk…….”
Oh yes i can certainly see how you came to that conclusion. An injury that occured to a player in October/November certainly justifies KK’s choice to walk away in September doesn’t it.
ronaldeano
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:38 PM
Comment #12Are we realy going to miss Nacho?!
I forgot we even had him on loan.
If he was fit he probly couldent get in the side in front of our current CM’s anyway
ToonKing
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:43 PM
Comment #13To be honest, Xisco is a really good player, just hasn’t been given the chance yet.
Gonzalez i have never seen but from what i heard he is/was a Riquelme style slow ad steady playmaker at Danubio and he did have a few nice tries for us too in the little time we’ve seen him.
Anyways, we won’t seen him anymore so that’s that then.
hitman
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:46 PM
Comment #14spyro stick to your local clubs….dont forget xisco,hes shite,these 2 players played appart in kk walking,not there fault like,
Spyro
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:49 PM
Comment #15If Xisco’s one purpose at this club was to rid us of a pathetic, coward excuse of a manager then he was worth every penny 🙂
hitman
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:51 PM
Comment #16spoken like a true cockney.
Karltoon
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:54 PM
Comment #17Neither willingly played any part in Keegan walking!
Keegan, his terms, and the board did.
Spyro
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Comment #18Your words are spoken like a true deluded, ignorant and unintelligent low life…
…So nothing out of the ordinary then eh?
Spyro
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:57 PM
Comment #19Ed Harrison
Change the bloody banner will you. I dont want to see that coward everytime i come on here, he walked out on us remember?
hitman
Nov 11, 2008 at 4:59 PM
Comment #20spyro,please tell me why you support newcastle,when your a cockney….i bet it was in 96…you will never understand what keegan means to the people of newcastle,he made this club what it is today….on a lighter note….
http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=511233
you have to laugh dont you.
Spyro
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Comment #21Sorry to burst your bubble, but i started supporting Newcastle at the age of 7, which was in 1993.
Karltoon
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:09 PM
Comment #22Spyro – Are you actually a cockney?
Just it crops up alot on here.
Personally i dont think Keegan is a coward, and i can see why he walked (if what we are led to believe is true).. But it is all water under the bridge now (not in the sense that there’s no raw emotion still floating about), but in the way that it just needs to be onwards and upwards, regardless of opinions on the past. Hindsight can be a f**ker
Will
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:16 PM
Comment #23@Spyro.
Keegan’s case was that the squad was too small and now we have another injury, reducing the size either further. how doesn’t this prove his point? the squad cannot cope with injuries and we now have loads.
boater
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:17 PM
Comment #24So if you don’t swear undying unconditional support to a manger who quit on us twice and left us in hot water… you are a cockney.
Being a geordie is supporting the CLUB not the personnel I would have thought….
I’m with Spyro.
Will
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:28 PM
Comment #25ok then, so say Keegan stayed then Boater and Spyro. What wud happen then? he wud have walked or been sacked and we wud have had these same injuries and been in the same mess.
WHY? BECAUSE ASHLEY DIDN’T RELEASE ENOUGH FUNDS FOR MUCH NEEDED PLAYERS!!!
So what your saying is that if Keegan had stayed and waited for this inevitable mess ASHLEY put us in by only balancing the books, KK would hve earned your respect? This was going to happen anyway because we have no depth to our squad.
It was better KK took a stand when he did otherwise we might not be selling the club. Ashley balanced the books – so f***! we aren’t a shop, relegation is disastorous to clubs. we needed players in and that is a fact.
SouthLincsToon
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:29 PM
Comment #26Independents says Man City may be selling Elano in January.
Terminate Macho grab Elano
Toon Graeme
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Comment #27Im not gonna miss the lad as he only played a couple of times. Bit like Smith – who you ask? Out of sight out of mind.
It Could Be Worse, We Could Be Spurs! (DC)
Nov 11, 2008 at 5:44 PM
Comment #28I’m with Spyro on this one.
KK WALKED and said NOUT!
I’d expect more from a friend, even a business professional, let alone someone in the greatest seat of power to all Geordies!
Shot Bru!
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:05 PM
Comment #29Bummer about Nacho, we need all our players fit considering our small squad. We’re bound to pick up more injuries through fatigue and suspensions on the run up to and during the xmas period. It’s frightening the lack of depth and quality our squad has. I mean Cacapa is our best option as cover for CB. It’s only gonna take 3 or 4 players to be injured and we’re gonna be struggling more than we are now.
Shot Bru!
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Comment #30I’m sure these 2 guys have been mentioned before, and considering the current regime aren’t spending any money why don’t we bring in Appiah and Sylvinho to strengthen our midfield and left back areas.
A.L 9
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Comment #31Spyro I could swear you were secretly Keagans closet lover, you don’t stop gannin on about him.
dacvidtoon
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:20 PM
Comment #32i,m with spyro.to hell with keegan.he walked on us twice.hope he never manages the toon again
A.L 9
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Comment #33just wrote a massive comment and accidentaly deleted it (ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!)
Basicaly the gist of it was I dont think Appiah is needed as we have Barton for the box to box role, I think we need another in alongside him who can unlock a defence because whenever we come across a decent defensive side who like to camp out in their own half we just cannot break them open.
Against Fulham we had a lot of the ball in the second half in thier half of the field and Fulham caught us on the odd counter, dangerous play when we didn’t create anything bar an ‘offside’ goal and Owen’s 6 yard miss.
Someone like Aimar would have been perfect I beieve if reports were true that he was on his way. May we could get Elano in January if he’s out of Citeh, he seems a little lightweight but that may not be a problem for Newcastle as we don’t play ‘counter attacking’ football like they do, so therefore dont realy need many people to soak up any pressure.
BILLIY - B
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:25 PM
Comment #34Who is he ?
Shot Bru!
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:30 PM
Comment #35AL 9
Agree with the creativity aspect, which we desperately need to give our midfield balance. What if Barton gets injured or more likely suspended, we have no cover, Appiah could prove to be a wise aquisition on a free.
KK FOREVER (Ross)
Nov 11, 2008 at 6:52 PM
Comment #36bad news? Ed this fella could sell programmes for all i know. I think i’ve seen him step out in a newcastle shirt once for about 6 minutes, we’ve never had him in the team to lose and be put at a disadvantage. complete waste of time.
Doocey
Nov 11, 2008 at 7:25 PM
Comment #37Waste of time and money. I’m sure he’s a decent player but he’s no good to us now. We need five in five in , in january.
chriss
Nov 11, 2008 at 7:35 PM
Comment #38SEND THE TWO SPANISH PLONKERS,THE SUPPOSED GOALSCORER XISCO & GONZARLEZ
Turkish Magpie
Nov 11, 2008 at 8:22 PM
Comment #39Gonzalez is Uruguayan
Bill F (Original)
Nov 11, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Comment #40Every player needs some first team football to bed in and show his worth. I don’t see how players who have hardly played can get so many negative comments. I agree that with his injury it’s doubtful that we will ever see what he can do, pity you never know he might ultimately have been a good un. As for Spyro’s credentials I couldn’t care less if he was a martian, if he supports the Toon thats good enough for me. Just as a matter of interest Spyro why do you support the Toon?