Sport

Rob Elliot to miss Euro 2016 through injury

Ireland keeper Rob Elliot is treated on the Aviva Stadium pitch following his injury during Tuesday night's friendly against Slovakia <br />Picture by PA&nbsp;
Ireland keeper Rob Elliot is treated on the Aviva Stadium pitch following his injury during Tuesday night's friendly against Slovakia
Picture by PA 
Ireland keeper Rob Elliot is treated on the Aviva Stadium pitch following his injury during Tuesday night's friendly against Slovakia
Picture by PA 

GOALKEEPER Rob Elliot is out of both Newcastle's relegation fight and the Euro 2016 finals after being told he faces "a number of months" on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury.

The 29-year-old's worst fears were confirmed on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament in the act of making a save in the Republic of Ireland's 2-2 friendly draw with Slovakia at the Aviva Stadium. An initial scan carried out in Dublin suggested the extent of the injury, but further tests back on Tyneside held no better news for Elliot.

A Newcastle statement said: "Newcastle United can confirm that goalkeeper Rob Elliot has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate ligament, suffered during the Republic of Ireland's friendly fixture against Slovakia last night.

"Rob has returned to Newcastle and has been assessed this morning by the club's doctor. He will now commence a programme of treatment and rehabilitation. Regrettably, the severity of this injury will rule Rob out for a number of months. Everyone connected with Newcastle United wishes Rob the very best for his recovery." 

The news is not only a major blow to the former Charlton keeper, but to the Magpies and Ireland too. Newcastle have already lost number one Tim Krul to a knee ligament injury for the season and Elliot has been their stand-out performer during a difficult campaign which has eight games still to run, with relegation from the Barclays Premier League a distinct possibility.

Tuesday night's game was also an opportunity for him to press his claim for a starting berth in Martin O'Neill's team in France this summer, with him the only one of the current crop of keepers playing regular top-flight football.

Karl Darlow, with the backing of teenager Freddie Woodman, will take over at club level with Saturday's crucial trip to Norwich his first test, while 39-year-old Shay Given, back in training after his own long-term knee injury, will look to use Stoke team-mate Jack Butland's misfortune to pile the pressure on Darren Randolph on the international front.

Randolph, who has known Elliot since they were trainees together at Charlton, was among the first to offer his best wishes to his compatriot: "I've known him since we were 15 and I know him quite well. I don't want to see that happen to anybody, at any stage, let alone Rob. He's been on fire," he said.

"There's never a good time for that to happen, but it's the worst possible time for it to happen to him now."

There was sympathy too from defender John O'Shea, who accompanied Elliot, who wore a knee brace and the support of crutches, on his flight back to Tyneside on Wednesday morning: "It's a big blow for Robbie personally. I flew over with him on the plane from Newcastle, so I could see how much he was looking forward to coming over and showing what he could do," the Sunderland skipper said.

"With the season he was having, he was keen to keep that momentum going but, unfortunately, that's football. It could happen in training, but it just happened in the game."