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Given ruled out for rest of Magpies' season through injury

15/04/2008

Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given will miss the rest of the 2007/08 Premier League season due to his ongoing groin injury.

The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been out since February with the problem, which has caused him discomfort for several months.

Given is one of the Magpies' longest-serving players and represents a key part of new manager Kevin Keegan's plans for next season.

And the former England boss revealed he is keen for Given to take his time in order to stage a full recovery and be completely fit ahead of the start of the new season in August.

"I think he'll be fit by the end of the season and he'll train with us for maybe the last week or ten days, but there's no sense for him to play a match," Keegan told the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper.

"He just needs to know by the end of the season that he's fit, ready to go away and come back fit for preseason with all his problems behind him.

"I think that, for him, will be a massive relief."

In Given's absence, Steve Harper has proven to be a very able deputy for the Tyneside club - keeping three clean sheets in the last four matches as Newcastle turned around their poor form that epitomised the early matches of Keegan's regime.

Only Tottenham's Darren Bent has beaten Harper since the middle of March as the Toon Army witnessed wins at White Hart Lane and over Fulham and Reading as well as a 0-0 draw at Portsmouth at the weekend.