Lovenkrands and Enrique to return but Routledge is a worry

Mar 3 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

PETER Løvenkrands and José Enrique will make their Newcastle United returns at home to Barnsley on Saturday – but the Magpies will continue to be without the player who has been a key figure in some of their most thrilling home wins this season.

Wayne Routledge has only played three times at St James’ Park since his January move from Queens Park Rangers but Newcastle have scored 11 times in those matches, playing a far more exciting brand of football thanks to the balance provided by two natural wingers.

But with Fabrice Pancrate out of favour, the home crowd will have to get used to Ryan Taylor or more likely Danny Guthrie filling in on the right against the Tykes.

News of the 25-year-old’s continuing calf problems were the only dampener on an otherwise positive medical bulletin yesterday.

In-form striker Løvenkrands is set to return along with Spanish left-back Enrique – a strong candidate for Newcastle’s player of the season.

Club captain Nicky Butt will also be available for selection, though it is hard to see him forcing his way into the team without further injuries.

Left-back Enrique’s return from a hamstring injury is extremely well timed, coming so soon after the end of Patrick van Aanholt’s loan from Chelsea.

The Dutchman started all seven games Enrique missed, but his month-long stint ended after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Watford. The Magpies would have liked to have kept him longer, but with injuries to Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov, the Blues

were never really in a position to agree to an extension of his loan.

Enrique, signed from Villarreal by Sam Allardyce for £6.5m in 2007, has come into his own this season as his overlapping runs and relationship with fellow Spanish speaker Jonás Gutiérrez have increased his popularity on the terraces.