Luque adds to Magpies' woes

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness’ injury misery continued today when it was confirmed that £9.5m (€14.1m) signing Albert Luque could be sidelined until the middle of November.

The 27-year-old Spaniard tore a hamstring during the first half of Saturday’s 1-1 Barclays Premiership draw with Fulham at St James’ Park, and Souness later admitted that he could be out for six weeks.

However, it was revealed today that a scan on Monday showed the damage was worse than first thought and that he could now be missing for up to 10 weeks.

That would mean sitting out the league games against Blackburn, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Wigan, Sunderland, West Brom and Birmingham, as well as the club’s Carling Cup third round fixture, with champions Chelsea providing the opposition on November 19, 10 weeks to the day after he suffered his injury.

Souness spent all summer – and around £38.5m (€57.2m) of chairman Freddy Shepherd’s money – strengthening his squad after last season’s disappointment.

But injuries and suspension are likely to rob him of £21.5m (€31.9m) worth of his new arrivals when he returns to former club Blackburn on Sunday with Emre battling to shake off his own hamstring problem, Nolberto Solano struggling with a thigh strain and Scott Parker banned after his red card on Saturday in addition to Luque’s woes.

With Kieron Dyer still to recover from the hamstring strain he picked up against Manchester United on August 28, Souness will barely be able to muster a midfield quartet, and certainly not one with the creativity for which he sought so hard to provide the ammunition for Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

The experiment of fielding full-back Stephen Carr wide on the right against Fulham did not pay off, and he may be left with little choice but to play Lee Bowyer, Amdy Faye, Charles N’Zogbia and Lee Clark at Ewood Park.

But if his main problems are in midfield, Souness also has concerns at the back on a day when he really does not need them.

The Scot took the gamble of playing in-form central defender Steven Taylor at right-back last week and paired the returning Titus Bramble with £8m (€11.9m) record signing Jean-Alain Boumsong in the middle.

It was Taylor’s uncharacteristic error which, aided by another costly slip by Boumsong, handed Brian McBride the chance to fire his side ahead, and Souness will be desperate there is no repeat as he prepares for the prospect of meeting Craig Bellamy face-to-face once again.

The Welshman headed for Blackburn during the summer after falling out spectacularly with the Newcastle boss, and is winning his battle against the ankle injury which has sidelined him in recent weeks.

Bellamy has insisted he will not be speaking about his feud with Souness in the run-up to the game and the 52-year-old stopped voicing his opinion on the matter some time ago.

But Souness knows that, despite the problems he had with the former Norwich and Coventry striker off the pitch, he is dangerous on it, and he will do his best to terrorise whoever lines up at the back for his former club.

Taylor, who limped off at half-time on Saturday after suffering a dead leg when he collided with a post, is hopeful of being fit, and it remains to be seen whether he is restored to his preferred role for a game the Magpies simply cannot afford to lose.