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Big Sam: It's your last chance, Baba


Scottish Mag
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Celestine Babayaro is fighting to salvage his Newcastle United career.

 

The injury-plagued defender – who has not kicked a ball in anger for the club since March, and never been fit enough to make any of Sam Allardyce's squads – is close to his latest comeback for the Magpies.

 

And Allardyce says the left-back – who has been dogged by niggling groin and hamstring problems – must now stay fit if he has any chance of earning a place in his side.

 

He said: "He's training and no longer injured.

 

"But having not played competitive action for such a long time, he's short of match fitness.

 

"This now is the last go at it for Celestine."

 

Babayaro was signed by Graeme Souness from Chelsea in January 2005, and he has another season left on his United contract after the current campaign.

 

Injuries have stopped him establishing himself under Souness and his successors, with the 29-year-old having made just 45 league starts for the club.

 

However, Allardyce – who has already revived the St James's Park career of Charles N'Zogbia – says the door is still open for Babayaro to stake his claim, but he admits time is running out.

 

Allardyce is conscious that he will lose a number of players to the African Nations Cup in January.

 

Babayaro, technically, still could be called up by Nigeria, though he has not played for his country since the 2004 ANC, when he was sent home for "indiscipline" along with Yakubu, then at Portsmouth.

 

Allardyce said: "There's a possibility that we may need Celestine in January.

 

"We'll have four players away at the African Nations then, but we have to get him match-fit and then keep him that way.

 

"The squad will be short in January, and we'll need all of what we have left to stay fit after what will have been a gruelling December programme."

 

Allardyce signed full-back Jose Enrique Villarreal in the summer, and Babayaro also faces competition from Charles N'Zogbia, used out of position at left-back this season.

 

Babayaro's last appearance for Newcastle came in the 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City at St James's Park on March 31.

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He`s crap, plain and simple. Get shot of him & Carr at the same time as they are both as bad as each other

 

Personally I wouldn't class him as crap. He's just lazy and uninterested the majority of the time imo.

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