Well would you believe it, but both Chancel Mbemba and Aleksandar Mitrovic have returned to training according to long-running website nufc.com and both could make the vital Stoke City game at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday night – a game we should be looking to win.
The center-back and striker trained with the rest of the squad on Friday and with both being such vital players for Newcastle these days, we have to hope both could be starting the game next Wednesday night.
Chancel Mbemba – back in training with Mitrovic
The report is that Chancel Mbemba, Jack Colback, Vurnon Anita, Paul Dummett, Siem de Jong and Aleksandar Mitrovic all trained last Friday, so that´s really great news on the injury front.
Also involved on the training ground but not in full training were Cheick Tiote, Papiss Cisse, Kevin Mbabu, Gabriel Obertan and Massadio Haidara.
Fabricio Coloccini was not training, so whether he will be risked on Wednesday night is still an open question but it does give manager Steve McClaren some choices to make for the next game.
Maybe a Taylor/Mbemba central partnership is worth trying for the Stoke game and we assume Taylor is more match fit now than he was at Chelsea in the last game.
McClaren has to be careful to not rush players back becaasue we need these players all available for the rest of the seoasn if possible.
But being in training on Friday suggests that Chancel Mbemba, Jack Colback, Vurnon Anita, Paul Dummett, Siem de Jong and Aleksandar Mitrovic all have a great chance of making the game at Stoke.
Our next two games including our home game against Bournemouth next Saturday afternoon are absolutely critical and we have to start winning games if we are to survive this season.
By now we hope the players are all very well aware of just how important the remaining 12 games of the season are to Newcastle United.
Comments welcome.
61 comments so far
sparky55
Feb 28, 2016 at 11:48 AM
Comment #1bollox…I thought you were going to say Colo is definitely out!
Veltman
Feb 28, 2016 at 11:49 AM
Comment #2Drop Wijnaldum? He he, you having a laugh!
Where would this club be without his goals by now this season? Rock Bottom!Dropping One of the club’s key player so far is like dropping Kante or Vardy of Leicester.Danny Mills is a good pundit and he is spot on on Mc’s coaching skills & abilities.Zero man mgt skills & zero player motivational Skills.Even if Wijnaldum had couple of below par games,he still can do something out of a blue.
Mc won’t get sacked for sure even if we lose to stoke but the question is will he still remain in charge if we lose or draw to Bmouth?
The stoke result will tell us where we stand after that glimmer of hope refreshment in Spain,
where Lee Ryder said lots of positives have been sighted from the team.
sparky55
Feb 28, 2016 at 11:52 AM
Comment #3“game we should be looking to win”?
FFS Ed…How many teams have gone to Stoke and won this year?
…and yes I know CP won there but that was a proper fluke!
What on earth makes you think we have anything in our locker that means we have any chance of going there and winning…are you fcuking mad?
one second thought don’t bother answering that…it’s obvious what you’re doing
martoon
Feb 28, 2016 at 11:56 AM
Comment #4Sparky – did you get out the wrong side of bed this morning? I think Ed is right we have to try and go for the win because our attack is decent but our defence is not good enough to play for a draw.
AncientC
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:01 PM
Comment #5Stoke have won 6, drawn two, and lost 5 at home. Not all that great. (After just beating whipping boys Villa)
The teams that have went to the Britannia and won:
Liverpool
West Brom
Watford
Crystal Palace
Everton
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:09 PM
Comment #6“A game we should be looking to win” – if we removed the fact that every game is a game “we should be looking to win” I would fundamentally disagree with your statement.
On the basis of the football that you have seen respectively from Newcastle and Stoke City this season, how on earth can you say that going away to Stoke is a game we should be looking to win? We have no divine right to beat anyone, and quite frankly, we should consider a point away to Stoke to be a bloody fine point indeed.
When will we take our heads out of the clouds and realise that not only are we an average team at best but that we’re a gulf in class away from the likes of Stoke City, Southampton, West Ham et al.
These delusions of grandeur have to stop.
Ruddy Marveaux-lous
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:11 PM
Comment #7AncientC
Considering that we have only won 6 games all season, I would consider Stoke’s form in comparison to our own to be imperious…
Essex Geordie Bill
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:13 PM
Comment #8Good weekend for us but obviously we have to take advantage of those results.
I reckon 4-5-1 is the way to go at Stoke.
We have the players to hit them on the break, including Wini. I’d like to see Mbabu at LB with Mitro doing the hold up play up front.
Oh and (bit naughty I know) take Butland out of the equation. although he is beatable.
AncientC
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:17 PM
Comment #9Ruddy, yes, and Stoke will rightfully be the bookmakers favourites to win the game, reflecting that fact.
Still, considering that West Brom, Watford, and Crystal Palace have beaten Stoke away, I would like to think this is a winnable game.
Our form guide looks extremely dire, but we have not played the whole season with the winter window additions, which adds a new dimension. I mentioned before, that if we win this game, it will be 3 wins in 6 games since the signing of Shelvey… who I am hoping can make a big difference.
Belfast
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:17 PM
Comment #10I wonder if those new investors at Crystal Palace are as keen on Pardew as the other bloke Parish is? Probably not.
I think he might get the boot if they get beat Tuesday night.
beermonkey
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:17 PM
Comment #11can we beat stoke ? yeah we can i really hope we get 3 points
but with norwich playing chelsea, swans playing arsenal
a point wouldnt be the worst result
only concern could be palace playing sunderland
i hope pards breaks his sunderland run
Rotonda heights
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:19 PM
Comment #12Very worrying if Saylor is starting after the shambles at Chelsea. I think I have more pace and I’m 54!
Belfast
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:20 PM
Comment #13Oh god I see Ruddy is back.
When I said lets make the blog great again I didn’t mean this.
beermonkey
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:22 PM
Comment #14belfast
palace league form is poor but there still in the fa cup so they have been winning the odd game,
there not going to go down so it might buy him some time
parish didnt look happy though
Belfast
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:32 PM
Comment #15I had a look last night there and he was getting dogs abuse from Palace fans.
I don’t think they’ll get relegated though.
beermonkey
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:40 PM
Comment #16belfast
not many managers would escape abuse given the fact he has lost 9 out of 10 league games
i just hope they beat sunderland
Jail for Ashley
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:48 PM
Comment #17Got a link Belfast I couldn’t navigate that website of theirs.
BandB
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:53 PM
Comment #18Ruddy
The notion that we were a fundamentally strong squad that just couldn’t cop a break remained an unshakeable view among bloggers even at the climax of Carver’s record losing run last season.
bettyswallocks
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:54 PM
Comment #19Let’s spend £80 million but make sure we buy poor players ie. Cabella and Thauvin so that we are still crap and slide down the divisions and become an insignificant lower league team . We can then build a smaller stadium and then develop SJP into shops, offices and student accommodation.
Of all the conspiracy theories this one takes the bicky. I’ve heard it all now. Well done BandB
AncientC
Feb 28, 2016 at 12:55 PM
Comment #20https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=Pardew&src=typd
Palace supporters backing Pardew would appear to be in the minority.
BandB
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:01 PM
Comment #21Just playing betty. That’s what blogs are for. So people can think out loud on topics the papers won’t talk about.
Is that verboten?
AncientC
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:02 PM
Comment #22For Jail.
http://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=106&tid=158648
bettyswallocks
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:04 PM
Comment #23BandB….. Let you off then. Lol.
BandB
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:06 PM
Comment #24Ironically betty, I thought to myself “at least this musing out loud in response to Sparky is better than getting into a scrap!”
banjax
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:12 PM
Comment #25The outstanding problem remaining to be sorted at Newcastle United is our Manager which is something most of us have been saying. Until that problem is addressed we are destined to lose at Stoke and at best draw with Bournemouth. So talk all you want about whose fit and whose not, the players we have, best and worst, will not get going for Steve McLaren.
Belfast
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:14 PM
Comment #26There was an article on the mag last night jail.
Jib
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:19 PM
Comment #27whose fit and whose not,
who’s fit and who’s not FFS
bettyswallocks
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:20 PM
Comment #28BandB……..The uncertainty surrounding our future and lack of a game for so long has certainly caused some unusual behaviour on here.
My gripe is that there are still some posters who although are not hoping for relegation or so they say, are still blasé about relegation, assuming it will help rid us of Ashley and /or give us a chance to re evaluate.
I can’t for the life of me see the point in supporting a football club and hoping for it’s demise. Totally disloyal in my opinion.
Veltman
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Comment #29beer – I fully concur your thoughts..
Still though,our season depends on the results of other clubs around us,like last season.
lesh
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:22 PM
Comment #30First things first –
AncientC
My apologies sir. It was Sparky who commented on Ashley and his shenanigans on the thread before last.
Sparky, my apologies to you too for crediting your wisdom to another enlightened fan.
And with all the good news about players returning to training, one could be forgiven for thinking we might be in with a shout against Stoke. Injuries or no, the real issues are who’s selected, how the team’s set up, the players’ motivation, how they’re told to play and most importantly whether they make a game of it – or not.
Let’s not forget the players are being guided by an inspired HC – that’s worth a point start….. for Stoke!
lesh
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #31And
I’m not convinced that Colo has been injured and it might be beneficial to all to rest him rather than play him with Shelvey as captain. If he did have the arm-band taken off him in Spain, he’s gonna need time to get used to it.
But that all hinges on whether McClaren’s got the bottle to play Shelvey as captain.
Ron Knee
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:26 PM
Comment #32lesh
Before jeff does, let me be the first to congratulate you on your expert use of the apostrophe!
AncientC
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Comment #33@ 30, no worries, easily done if scrolling through comments for a quick read.
lesh
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:28 PM
Comment #34Ron Knee
Ive been well trained in the use of the apostrophe – Im from a family of grocers!
Ron Knee
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:31 PM
Comment #35lesh
Apples’ 69p per bag!
Jib
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:34 PM
Comment #36Jesper has an excuse for his bad grammar but Americans , Canadians, Australians ,and Kiwis have no excuse.
Sloppy grammar , sloppy thinking and sloppy lifestyle.
lesh
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:36 PM
Comment #37Ron
I’ll correct you before Jib does.
It shouldve red ‘apple’s’…. not apples’
Ron Knee
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:37 PM
Comment #38Some curious commas there, jeff.
Ron Knee
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:37 PM
Comment #39Cheers, lesh!
lesh
Feb 28, 2016 at 1:38 PM
Comment #40Jib
Whereas we Brits always insert a space before a comma and not after one!!!!