According to the Times, Andy Carroll is expected to be fit for Newcastle’s trip to Liverpool on September 14th.
The game will be our first after the international break (scheduled to start the week commencing September 2nd), suggesting he’s still a few weeks away from being full fit and will sit out of upcoming games against Norwich, Spurs and Watford as a result.
Not only could this mark his first appearance for the club in over 8 and a half years, he would be playing against the team that paid £35m to lure him away from St James’ Park back in 2011.
It goes without saying that he’s highly unlikely to start, with him only just recovering from reconstructive ankle surgery this summer, but it would be some occasion if his long-awaited return came at Anfield – even if it will be via a late cameo from the bench.
Carroll was ‘desperate’ to come back according to Steve Bruce, and he’ll be equally desperate to stay fit if new details about his alleged salary are anything to go by, with his basic wage of around £20,000 set to go up to £70,000 if and when he starts.
Let’s hope he can get a good few weeks of training under his belt and get himself back in the squad and ready to face Liverpool in a month’s time.