Soccer: Leon Best looks sure to miss out on a call up for the Republic of Ireland's friendly against the Czech Republic later this month after being ruled out for a "number of weeks" by Newcastle United.
Best’s chances of being included in the squad Giovanni Trapattoni is due to reveal this Friday were slim, at best, having not featured at in the Euro 2012 qualification campaign. However, a knee injury sustained against Aston Villa yesterday would appear to have ended any hope he had of returning this month and swaying the manager’s opinion.
Best was removed after 14 minutes when his knee was jarred courtesy of a block tackle by Villa defender Stephen Warnock. He was replaced by the Toon army’s latest ‘number 9’ Papiss Cisse, who went on to score the winner with a stunning debut strike.
The good news for Newcastle is that Ryan Taylor's leg injury has been limited to soft tissue damage for which he is now receiving treatment.
Taylor was carried off on a stretcher after he too fell foul of a Warnock tackle, in the build up to Newcastle's opening goal, scored by Demba Ba.
X-rays yesterday revealed no break to his badly swollen ankle.
