Lovenkrands set for Newcastle United return
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/nufc/newcastle-united-news/2009/09/01/lovenkrands-set-for-newcastle-united-return-72703-24578321/
PETER Lovenkrands looks poised for a second spell at St James’s Park in order to ease the Magpies’ striker crisis.
And caretaker boss Chris Hughton was also trying to tie up a loan deal for Manchester United defender Craig Cathcart on transfer deadline day.
In a surprise twist, United are also understood to have been offered their former striker Mark Viduka on a pay-as-you-play deal, as have Middlesbrough.
The Chronicle revealed on August 18 that Newcastle had turned to Lovenkrands for a second time this year following a spate of outgoing transfers at Gallowgate.
And with Newcastle’s frontline decimated through injuries to Shola Ameobi – who could face a two month lay-off with a foot injury – and groin victim Andy Carroll, Hughton has been desperate to bolster his attacking options.
Spanish flop Xisco’s exit to Racing Santander on a season-long loan deal to the La Liga club has paved the way for Lovenkrands to return.
The former Rangers star was at the United training ground today for talks, with a three-year deal on offer at St James’s.
Cathcart was hoping to follow in the footsteps of Danny Simpson in a loan move to Tyneside, with Hughton woefully short of cover in the centre-half area.
At 6ft 2in, the Belfast-born Northern Ireland Under-21 international, who has also had loan stints at Plymouth and Royal Antwerp, would offer Hughton exactly that, and he knows about the rigours of Championship life after playing 30 times for the Pilgrims last term.
However, Hughton was also keeping his fingers crossed that there would be no further departures at St James’s Park.
However, he did fall victim to FIFA’s five-day rule, with Fabricio Coloccini ordered back to Argentina by Diego Maradona for their crunch World Cup qualifier against Brazil and Jonas Gutierrez also heading back to his homeland so that AFA doctors can assess his hamstring injury.
Hughton told the Chronicle: “Coloccini’s gone and, from a personal point of view, we hope he doesn’t play in the games, and will be fit and available for Cardiff a week on Sunday.
“Jonas will certainly not be involved in the national team but has headed back as well.
“As far as a timescale, you’re always a bit reluctant to have one, because you’d like to think you can bring them back before, but at the time he did it, we were looking at three weeks for Jonas’ return.
“We’re still assessing Shola.
“It’s not going to be a two or three week job – it’s certainly going to be longer than that.
“We’ll certainly know over the next couple of days.
“It’s a big blow for us because of how he started the season, and what a big player he is for us.
“We’re certainly very disappointed to lose him at this stage.”
Hughton will go into the international break with Newcastle at the top of the table and likely to win manager of the month after Newcastle’s unbeaten start.
