Diego Maradona praised for helping Newcastle United

Oct 14 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

“It would be Colo and Jonás’ first involvement in a World Cup and it would be a wonderful thing for them, so if they get the result they need (against Uruguay) Jonas would come back very happy and that normally benefits your club form.

“Jonás comes back late on Friday afternoon, that is always a problem (in terms of playing against Nottingham Forest) because it is a long flight.

“That is what happens when you have South Americans and they are aware of it. We just have to hope he will come through OK.”

Although Gutiérrez has missed much of the campaign with a hamstring injury which sidelined him for six weeks, Hughton has been impressed with the manner in which both he and Coloccini have knuckled down this season despite playing in the less than luxurious surroundings of English football’s second tier.

There have also been signs that Coloccini – hoping to return to the side at Forest on Saturday after straining his groin in the 4-0 victory over Ipswich last month – is starting to feel more comfortable with the pace and power of the English game, which is allowing his natural ability to read the game to come through.

Having perhaps feared the two would be desperate to abandon a sinking ship at St James’s Park over the summer, Hughton is adamant the South American duo have given just as much to the cause as their English team-mates. He said: “They are both very good characters, as individuals they have come here and are delighted to be here. It is the excitement of something different, playing here for the first time.

“They have been very good around the place and have shown a great desire to be around the place. They look on being here as a great experience for them and they want to help this club to do well.

“The only way that can happen is by playing well and that is how they view it. What we have now is a group of players who want to fight for the cause, and the two Argentinians wanted to stay and want to take the club back to where it belongs.”