Carroll will be fit for Blackpool match

Question

Carroll will be fit for Blackpool match

Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton says key striker Andy Carroll will be fit to play against Blackpool this weekend.
Carroll has been carrying a knock to his ankle over the last few weeks and said he was in extreme pain during the draw against the Wolverhampton Wanderers. Hughton says he is happy the physios can get him in the right shape to face Blackpool.
The manager said: "He's doing OK, but he still hasn't trained. We have to make sure he is rid of the problem. We're confident he'll be OK for Blackpool but as always we'll continue to assess his fitness throughout the week."
Carroll is very important to Newcastle's fluency in the attacking half of the pitch. Blackpool will be more than happy if Carroll is not named in the Newcastle starting team for the important Premier League match.
Player's importance
Carroll is the best striker that Newcastle possesses at the moment. He has scored goals against Aston Villa and Wolves and will be high on confidence. This will have given him the belief that he can score against any team in the league. He's also stated that he believes he is in good enough form to contend for an England place.
Carroll is the tallest front man that Newcastle has. This makes him an ideal player to hit the ball long to if conventional passing football is not working. This could be the option Newcastle turns to if Blackpool defends stubbornly. He is also good enough to drop off from the front and into the midfield to collect the ball.
Carroll's size also makes him a huge threat in the air. The Blackpool defence does not look the tightest of units at the moment and this could mean Carroll enjoys the time and space needed to get his head on the ball and score. Blackpool has to work very hard to mark him out of the game at corners and set pieces.
Hughton added: "When it happened before the Wolves game he didn't train for five days. And there was still a lot of swelling afterwards."
Betting advice
Newcastle are favourites for the match with Blackpool. Carroll will make them a much bigger attacking threat if he plays and back him to score if he starts or comes on at any point during the game. Newcastle also has the home advantage and it could all be too much for Blackpool to handle.