Source: Daily_Mail
Injury could force Newcastle striker Leon Best to withdraw from Ireland squad
Newcastle striker Leon Best is a major doubt for the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2012 play-off against Estonia. [LNB]The 25-year-old suffered toe and groin injuries in his club's 2-1 Barclays Premier League victory over Everton and was replaced by Hatem Ben Arfa with 17 minutes remaining.[LNB] Injury blow: Leon Best (left) could miss the crucial Euro 2012 playoff game[LNB] Best, who was only drafted into the squad on Thursday with West Brom's Shane Long struggling to be fit, will join up with his team-mates in Malahide on Monday to be assessed by Giovanni Trapattoni's medical team, but the signs are not good. [LNB]The former Coventry front-man's wife is also due to give birth imminently, and that too could delay his departure.[LNB] Magpies boss Alan Pardew said: 'Leon's wife is imminent and they are in discussions. [LNB] Substituted: Pardew (right) takes off injured Yohan Cabaye[LNB]'He is desperate to play, don't get me wrong. We have spoken to the manager and spoken to the medical team about maybe a bit of compassion in terms of him staying about today because she's that close, so we will see.'[LNB]Best was one of three Newcastle players to limp off the pitch with Yohan Cabaye making way eight minutes before half-time and Sylvain Marveaux nine minutes after it. [LNB]Pardew said: 'Cabaye felt his groin, Best hurt his toe and groin and Sylvain did his groin as well. [LNB]'When you get clipped like that, it opens up the groin. Two of them were identical kinds of injury. [LNB]'My guess is both those will miss [the next game at] Manchester City, but we will have to wait and see.'[LNB] The break has come at a good time for Pardew, who was without Cheik Tiote, Gabriel Obertan and Shola Ameobi for today's game. [LNB]He said: 'We are probably missing too many at the moment - no Cheik, no Obertan, no Sylvain, no Cabaye, no Shola - we are a little bit down on numbers, so it would be nice to get a couple back for two weeks' time.'[LNB] Newcastle 2 Everton 1: Party Tyne as unbeaten Toon continue spectacular startPardew praises Newcastle's fighting spirit after narrow win over EvertonAll the latest Newcastle United FC news, features and opinion[LNB] [LNB]
