Newcastle striker Shola Ameobi will stake his place for a first-team return when he lines up for the reserves against Bolton tonight.
The 25-year-old has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to repair a career-threatening hip injury six months ago and like team-mate Michael Owen, has faced a long haul back to fitness.
However, having played and scored alongside Owen in a behind-closed-doors friendly a fortnight ago and then found the net for the reserves in a 5-1 win at Middlesbrough last week, he is rapidly approaching full fitness.
Ameobi has been named in a young side for tonight's game and is expected to play 70 minutes once again to put himself in line for selection for the Barclays Premiership trip to Reading on Monday evening.
That would come as a huge boost to manager Glenn Roeder, who has been unable to call upon the Nigeria-born frontman since he finally had to admit defeat in his attempt to play through the pain barrier in November.
Roeder said: "When Shola went off to Colorado six or seven months ago to have his hip operation, we were told we would be lucky if he was fit to take part in pre-season training in early July.
"The thought of Shola playing again this year is amazing and he must be very pleased with himself because he certainly did not think he would be playing again this year, and now he knows he probably will."
Ameobi started the season as Newcastle's main striker with Owen facing the bulk of the campaign in the treatment room after rupturing in anterior cruciate ligament at the World Cup finals and Obafemi Martins and Antoine Sibierski yet to arrive.
He initially made a good fist of trying to plug the gap left by the retired Alan Shearer, scoring five times in nine starts.
However, the hip injury which had plagued him for around 18 months started to take its toll once again and after rest failed to cure the problem, he was sent to specialist Marc Philippon in America for the operation he thought would end his season.
Such has been his progress since that tonight's game at the Leyland home of the Lancashire FA gives him a genuine chance of regaining a place in the senior side with three league games still to play.
However, having played and scored alongside Owen in a behind-closed-doors friendly a fortnight ago and then found the net for the reserves in a 5-1 win at Middlesbrough last week, he is rapidly approaching full fitness.
Ameobi has been named in a young side for tonight's game and is expected to play 70 minutes once again to put himself in line for selection for the Barclays Premiership trip to Reading on Monday evening.
That would come as a huge boost to manager Glenn Roeder, who has been unable to call upon the Nigeria-born frontman since he finally had to admit defeat in his attempt to play through the pain barrier in November.
Roeder said: "When Shola went off to Colorado six or seven months ago to have his hip operation, we were told we would be lucky if he was fit to take part in pre-season training in early July.
"The thought of Shola playing again this year is amazing and he must be very pleased with himself because he certainly did not think he would be playing again this year, and now he knows he probably will."
Ameobi started the season as Newcastle's main striker with Owen facing the bulk of the campaign in the treatment room after rupturing in anterior cruciate ligament at the World Cup finals and Obafemi Martins and Antoine Sibierski yet to arrive.
He initially made a good fist of trying to plug the gap left by the retired Alan Shearer, scoring five times in nine starts.
However, the hip injury which had plagued him for around 18 months started to take its toll once again and after rest failed to cure the problem, he was sent to specialist Marc Philippon in America for the operation he thought would end his season.
Such has been his progress since that tonight's game at the Leyland home of the Lancashire FA gives him a genuine chance of regaining a place in the senior side with three league games still to play.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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