Exasperated by the problems which continue to consign Kieron Dyer to the St James's Park treatment table, Graeme Souness has overhauled Newcastle's medical team in a bid to finally solve the midfielder's fitness troubles.
The 26-year-old's latest comeback ended before it had even begun, with Dyer, named in the squad for the weekend fixture at Portsmouth, not even travelling to Fratton Park having suffered yet another recurrence of his injury woes.
A clearly concerned Souness has revealed that United's little-seen number eight is now experiencing pain in both hamstrings - despite engaging in a tailor-made exercise regime designed to get to the root of a familiar weakness. But, having put his faith in one of the North-East's leading orthopaedic specialists, the United boss hopes Dyer, who has missed six of the club's eight league fixtures this season, can prove wrong those who believe he will always be injury-prone.
"We have employed a new club doctor, it's up to him now," said Souness, who, having sanctioned the appointment of Dr Guy Stevenson, has urged him to make curing the ills of his expensive patient his chief priority.
"It is a concern. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was career threatening but it is a concern. I want to get him on the pitch. He has a problem with his hamstrings, both of them I believe, and he will be hurting and frustrated at this time.
"He loves playing football, he is desperate to play and we're all desperate for him. He can see I have brought good players in and he wants to be out on the pitch with them."
For the third time this season, Souness insisted Dyer's familiar problems were behind him on Friday morning. For the third time this season, he was proved wrong little over 24 hours later as United took to the pitch at Portsmouth to contest an uninspiring 0-0 draw without their troubled midfielder. For Dr Stevenson, addressing an issue which concerns and frustrates Souness in equal measures promises to be a great challenge.
"He is an orthopaedic specialist who has been working in Newcastle," said Souness of the man who holds Dyer's immediate future in his hands, joking: "He is Scottish so he has an advantage with me."
Yet there has been little for United's manager to smile about since he awarded the player an improved contract understood to be worth £90,000 a week this summer.
Dyer has started just two games this season and had been expected to feature at Fratton Park following his manager's positive pre-match words. Yet talk of the player's problems being a thing of the past proved premature.
"I wasn't lying, things change quickly in football," said Souness. "He came and saw me and said `I feel as if I have pulled it again'. It's a different area, higher up the hamstring, and that's a problem for us. It's becoming a real concern."
Dyer was not the only player with fitness problems at the weekend. Having also been named in the squad released by the club on Friday, Titus Bramble remained on Tyneside whilst his team-mates flew to the South Coast. "Titus trained but he didn't feel free, he has a bit of tightness in his hamstring and we didn't want to take the risk," said Souness.
Michael Owen played no part at Fratton Park having suffered a dead-leg during a training ground collision with Steven Taylor, but the striker was named in the England squad last night and is expected to play a full part in the forthcoming World Cup qualifying fixtures.
Scott Parker played at Portsmouth despite having suffered a groin problem last week but Celestine Babayaro, having sustained a similar injury during the first half at Fratton Park, retired after 45 minutes.
Souness hopes the two-week break will enable several of his players to recover their fitness. But with so many away with their respective countries, there is the potential for further problems to arise.
"We have two weeks to try to get some of the lads back," he added. "The break is fine by me. Ideally, I would like a month off. We will be sitting with everything crossed during these international games."
