Unlucky Jim

It isn't just the first team whose season has got off to a shocker, it seems. James Tavernier's loan spell at Shrewsbury looks to have lasted for just two games, with the full-back now set to undergo surgery for a metatarsal injury.

With the long-term absence of Raylor, the injuries for Massadio Haidara and Davide Santon, and now the suspension of Steven Taylor, Tavernier might have found himself back on Tyneside sooner than expected anyway, called upon to provide defensive cover. It's a shame, then, that we're deprived of that option.