Many Newcastle supporters have been replying with mixed responses to an official club post on Twitter, after United shared images of Andy Carroll and Florian Lejeune out on the training fields at Darsley Park.
Carroll made his return to Tyneside on Deadline Day as a free agent following his release by West Ham United, but is unable to make his second Magpies debut as he departed the Irons on the back of his second ankle surgery inside a year.
The Toon product is understood to have pinpointed our trip to Anfield on September 14 as the game he intends to make his comeback in.
Lejeune, on the other hand, has not been seen in Black and White since last April, when the French defender suffered his second serious knee injury inside a year, having missed much of the campaign through a Cruciate Ligament Rupture.
No return date has yet been announced for the 28-year-old, who, like Carroll, has stepped up his return to action by taking to the fields at Darsley Park in a bid to edge closer to a full return to first-team training.
Carroll and Lejeune are two of our long-term absentees nursing their way back to fitness under the close guidance of the club’s medical team, with Christian Atsu still on the sidelines after suffering a severe hamstring injury during this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations.
DeAndre Yedlin, meanwhile, returned to first-team training ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser with Arsenal after undergoing surgery in the summer break on a groin problem, and is expected back in action in the next few weeks.
Dwight Gayle is another absentee, at present, with the striker ruled out with a calf injury that reappeared at the end of our pre-season tour of Asia after initially sustaining the blow in Nanjing.
Here’s how these Newcastle fans reacted to the club’s post showing Carroll and Lejeune back on the grass at Darsley Park…
Nothing like swimming pool therapy to speed up recovery…..oh hold on…..
— Pete (@septichank) August 21, 2019
A bit of resistance training in the pool should help….. Oh wait…..
— David Sneddon (@snedd_david) August 21, 2019
two big improvements to the way we play if they can get fit and stay fit . a reason for hope
— Les Doidge (@LuckyLes71Doidg) August 21, 2019
I completely forgot about lejeune can’t wait to see him back playing
— Matty Duggan (@mattyduggan) August 21, 2019
Medical staff?! Sounds costly.
— MontyMag (@MontyMag) August 21, 2019
????and for good sake double check Andy Carroll Make sure he’s 200% fit
— callum lewis (@callum592) August 21, 2019
Bruce’s “run for 3 hours” training sessions will injure Carroll again in no time.
— Daniel. ⚫️⚪️ (@DoctorCookeh) August 21, 2019
Mind boggles to how Carol even remotely passed his medical before joining Newcastle
— Glen Paul Hobbs (@GlenHobbs1974) August 21, 2019
Best of Luck on your continued recovery towards full fitness lad’s ????????????
— Scott Shearer (@ScottShearer15) August 21, 2019
Great to see our local hero back training, alongside Andy Carroll..
— Callum Vass (@CallumVass) August 21, 2019
When isn’t Andy Carroll recovering from injury?
— Premier League Talk (@Pr3mierL3ague) August 21, 2019
Lejeune ????
— Adrian ???? (@Adrian____29) August 21, 2019