According to NUFC.co.uk, Remie Streete has been recalled from his loan spell with League One side Port Vale after injuries limited the available options at centre-half. With the club down to three centre-halfs with the loan of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa to Roma, injuries were always going to be something of an issue, and we've already seen all three of those players ruled out at various stages this season. Luckily Alan Pardew remembered that Paul Dummett was supposed to be a centre-back, so cover was there, but it's still not enough to have two fit centre-backs. For that reason Streete finds himself back in the fray, despite being told he could join Port Vale for longer after a successful first month. He was due to be with the Valiants until 4th January, but with injuries to Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor, Alan Pardew has decided to call him back as cover. So does this mean that Colo's injury is worse than expected? Possibly, but the club have played it down:
"It's a shame we lost him to injury. We're a little bit concerned about that. It's just a calf injury - not too serious, we don't think."
Clearly there is concern, but not as a long-term issue. Given his form so far in the past month, Coloccini will be a major loss, though the emergence of Paul Dummett might help matters. The prospect of Mike Williamson returning to the back-line is a little frightening however, considering how much he changes the way we play.
