Carr set to make Magpies debut

STEPHEN CARR is ready to make his debut for Newcastle in their Barclays Premiership opener with Middlesbrough on Saturday.

That is the only good news for Bobby Robson as the United boss tries to put a side together despite the conjunctivitis outbreak at St James’ Park and injuries to key players.

Carr, signed from Tottenham this week, said: “I’m fit enough for selection if the manager needs me at Middlesbrough on Saturday.

“I have been sitting around for a couple of days since I came up to Newcastle on Monday and while the rest of the first team squad had a day off yesterday I trained with our young boys at the academy.

“I had a good workout and my match fitness is not too bad as it was only last Tuesday that I played a half with Spurs in a friendly in Seville.”

Spurs were reluctant to lose the man who was their stand-in skipper last season but Carr added: “Once everything was agreed between the two clubs I was hoping and praying that I would become a Newcastle United player.

“I’m very excited about the prospect and now it’s up to me.

“This is a new and big challenge for me and one of the main reasons I have come here is to win things, which I’m sure I will.”

The Newcastle players changed at home and in their cars before reporting for training and they will do the same tomorrow.

Despite having five players down with conjunctivitis, the Premier League have instructed Newcastle to travel to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

Meanwhile Wolves Republic of Ireland winger Mark Kennedy is facing a possible six-week lay-off with suspected medial knee ligament damage.

The 28-year-old suffered the injury with less than 15 minutes gone in Wednesday evening’s 2-2 draw with Preston at Molineux.

Wolves physio Barry Holmes said: “Mark’s received initial treatment and it appears he’s strained the medial ligament in his knee.

“We’ll have the injury confirmed by scans and Mark will then see a consultant in Manchester on Friday and it’s only then we’ll know how long he’ll be out for.

“But in our experience, such an injury usually takes between four and six weeks.”