Steve Bruce has confirmed that it will be a few weeks before Newcastle fans see Andy Carroll in action.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, as reported by Chronicle Live, Bruce revealed the striker was ‘four or five weeks’ away after returning to the club over the summer.
The news has caused concern among some Newcastle fans on social media, who feel like they may have seen this before.
Twitter: @NUFC @premierleague @NorwichCityFC WHAT!!!! What was the point then to get AC ? ASM also seems a bit of gamble now… https://t.co/lP4oqX9WOW (@Daaarshan)
Twitter: @Daaarshan @NUFC @premierleague @NorwichCityFC It’s a training injury. I hope this isn’t a common theme this year. (@doshmeisterr)
Twitter: @NUFC @premierleague @NorwichCityFC 4 or 5 weeks away Jesus (@sbsam_sam)
Twitter: @NUFC @premierleague @NorwichCityFC He’s finished man ? (@Stu99Stu)
Twitter: @NUFC360 He said 2-3 weeks last week.. (@dynamodamo)
Twitter: @ChronicleNUFC Not putting a timescale on it except for 4-5 weeks ?? (@lambeau2011)
Read Newcastle verdict
It feels a bit like a slippery slope when you start to talk about Andy Carroll and potential return dates.
The striker looks like a good signing on paper, but you cannot ignore his troubling injury record.
As a back-up to Joelinton, Carroll is a good figure to have in and around the squad. He has a lot of Premier League games under his belt and a lot of experience playing for the club, both very useful traits to have in the dressing room.
However, neither he or the club will be happy with just a cheerleading role from the sidelines. While they must take all the possible precautions, the club have to do their upmost to get the striker match fit as soon as possible to make the signing worthwhile.
