When Paul Dummett was injured in the first game of the season against Tottenham Newcastle were again left without a specialist left-back – something that Rafa Benitez had noticed when he first arrived at the club 18 months ago,.
We still have Sadio Haidara, but he is injured again although the good news is that he is almost fit again.
Newcastle did try to bring in Southampton left back Matt Targett on loan for the season on the final day of the summer transfer window, but we wouldn’t pay the loan fee for him.
If we hadn’t penny-pinched on that last day, Matt could be playing for us now in Paul Dummett’s absence.
Massadio Haidara is said to be progressing well by assistant manager Moreno, but it could still be some games before he is fully fit to play for Newcastle again – if Rafa decides to pick him for the side.
The Frenchman has been out in the cold at Newcastle for some time, but that’s mainly because he’s usually injured.
Paul Dummett’s hamstring injury is a bad one, and he’s supposed to be out until November.
So we will have to make do until then although Jesus Gamez played well in the second half at Swansea on Sunday in the 1-0 win and he’s obviously an experienced player.
Ciaran Clark, Chancel Mbemba, and Javier Manquillo can also play at left back for the side.
Assistant manager Paco Moreno had said this about Haidara’s situation late last week:
“Massadio is progressing well and doing things in right way. At the moment he has no chance of playing.”
Unfortunately, Haidara turned down a move to St Etienne in the summer based on the wages he would be getting at the French club, and they were not as high as he was getting at Newcastle.
That’s a chronic problem when we try to move players out of the club.
Sadio is said to get a little over £20K/week at Newcastle since he signed on for us from Nancy back in January 2013, but he’s played only 48 times for us over those four and a half years.
Hopefully, Sadio will soon be fit to play again.
Comments welcome.
3 comments so far
Mindshaft
Sep 14, 2017 at 8:12 AM
Comment #1Haidara looked decent in a few games but injuries seem to have taken there toll.
Can’t really blame him for wanting to see out his contract rather than take a huge pay cut to play (given he’ll no doubt be injured and not playing at any club he goes to)
JP...from The Rock
Sep 14, 2017 at 2:33 PM
Comment #2Not good enough for us as he like many others are injury prone. It really is amazing how many injuries these ‘pro athletes’ have and we seem to get the most injury probw ones. Needs to be moved. I prefer Mbemba and Gamez at LB before Haidara.
Shadow_Shearer
Sep 14, 2017 at 3:34 PM
Comment #3I would take gomez over him any day