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Cape Town - Newcastle United caretaker manager John Carver says he will
be cautious with Siem De Jong as the Dutch striker nears a return from
injury.
The Netherlands international has been out of action since tearing his thigh muscle in August, and is penciled in for a mid-February return. The Magpies' number 10 has made only two appearances for his new team since moving to England from Ajax, but won’t be making a third ahead of schedule.
"He's one of the big characters in the dressing room," Football411 quotes Carver as saying. "He seems a huge character and he's a good talker who pops in every morning for a chat.
"But we need him fully fit. I think he's got to have two, maybe three Under-21 games and then maybe 45 minutes, 70, and then a full game. He's still a little bit off at the moment."
Carver has been in charge of the Magpies since Alan Pardew left for Crystal Palace at the beginning of the year. He has yet to taste victory while at the helm but will be boosted by the imminent return to fitness of a number of players.
Although De jong’s influence on Newcastle’s season so far, which finds them 11th in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup, has been restricted to dressing-room banter, Carver will be looking forward to having the striker available.
"Having him, Mehdi Abeid and Sammy Ameobi fit again just adds to the group," added Carver as he prepares to face Hull City at the KC Stadium on January 31.
The Netherlands international has been out of action since tearing his thigh muscle in August, and is penciled in for a mid-February return. The Magpies' number 10 has made only two appearances for his new team since moving to England from Ajax, but won’t be making a third ahead of schedule.
"He's one of the big characters in the dressing room," Football411 quotes Carver as saying. "He seems a huge character and he's a good talker who pops in every morning for a chat.
"But we need him fully fit. I think he's got to have two, maybe three Under-21 games and then maybe 45 minutes, 70, and then a full game. He's still a little bit off at the moment."
Carver has been in charge of the Magpies since Alan Pardew left for Crystal Palace at the beginning of the year. He has yet to taste victory while at the helm but will be boosted by the imminent return to fitness of a number of players.
Although De jong’s influence on Newcastle’s season so far, which finds them 11th in the Premier League and out of the FA Cup, has been restricted to dressing-room banter, Carver will be looking forward to having the striker available.
"Having him, Mehdi Abeid and Sammy Ameobi fit again just adds to the group," added Carver as he prepares to face Hull City at the KC Stadium on January 31.
