Butt out until New Year

By Nick Raynor
December 2 2004

Newcastle United’s holding midfielder Nicky Butt is out until the New Year with tendonitis in his hamstring.

Souness will be without the holding midfielder for a maximum of 6 weeks with an injury that Butt has struggled with since his £2.5 million transfer from Manchester United.

The England international is added to Newcastle’s list of injuries joining Shearer (thigh), O’Brien (hamstring); but Elliot (knee) and Johnson (groin) are expected to be fit for Newcastle’s trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Souness said:

"Nicky Butt has been told he must rest for somewhere between four and six weeks with tendonitis in the hamstring where it joins his backside, so that's not great news for us."

"He's extremely disappointed. I think he arrived with it, I think it's something that's been niggling him for a while and it's not had a chance to settle down.”

"It's an enormous blow for us."