Loan move could ease Toon's defensive crisis
CHRIS Hughton is weighing up a loan move to solve Newcastle United's defensive crisis.
Hughton – who had lost Mike Williamson before the Tees-Tyne derby – saw Fabricio Coloccini limp off early in the second half on Saturday.
With Williamson out for up to a month with a broken bone in his hand, and Coloccini nursing a dead leg, Hughton – whose side claimed a 2-2 draw at the Riverside Stadium thanks to Andy Carroll's late equaliser – must decide whether to make a loan signing before next Thursday's deadline.
Jose Enrique, an unused substitute, is also yet to prove his fitness after a spell out with a hamstring problem, and Steven Taylor is still several weeks away from a return from his long-term injury.
Asked if he was looking to the loan system, Hughton told the Gazette: "It's one I need to think about.
"Mike's a big blow, because he's going to be out for that period of time, and Steven Taylor's still the same period of time away from being fit.
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"I've got a lot of thinking to do over the next day or so. I've got to think about what we've got, and whether we can cope with what we've got.
"Probably more importantly, I've got to assess Colo. I need to assess how he's going to be."
Coloccini is a doubt for Wednesday night's home game against Scunthorpe United, though the early signs are that the centre-half will be fit to make a return, though Williamson won't be available until well into next month.
Hughton went on: "The supporters saw a performance, but perhaps what they didn't realise was that we lost Mike Williamson before the game. He'll be out for a period of time.
"He's got a broken bone in his hand, and he'll be out for a period of three to four weeks.
"That's a blow to us – he was someone who was playing on a regular basis, and had formed a good partnership with Colo.
"Colo had to go off early in the second half with a dead leg. The thing with dead legs is that they get sorer and sorer the more you play on them.
"He's a tough lad, but he had to come off. We had to reshuffle. We also had one other lad who did really well to play 90 minutes, and probably should have come off.
"When you take all of that into consideration it's a good point. We showed great character."
Meanwhile, left-back Enrique and winger Wayne Routledge, both unused substitutes at Middlesbrough, will be fit to take on Scunthorpe.
"Jose and Wayne will both be ready," Hughton added.
"In normal circumstances Jose would have come on, but it would have been a big risk, particularly after his last game.
"Because of the fact we got the draw, I'm delighted I didn't put him on.
"We're at home, which is the most important thing, but we've got a few knocks and bruises, and a few decisions to make."
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Weather for South Shields
Saturday 11 February 2012
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