Santon injury blow

Santon, who arrived from Inter Milan at the end of last month in a £5m deal, underwent a scan yesterday after his right knee swelled up.

Manager Alan Pardew had hoped to hand the Italian left-back his debut in Tuesday's Carling Cup tie with Nottingham Forest, but the Magpies boss now faces missing one of his key summer signings for at least four weeks.

Santon was an unused sub in Monday's draw at QPR, though the 20-year-old completed 70 minutes for the reserves the following day in a 6-0 win over Norwich City.

But the Italian's first competitive game for the Magpies will have to wait, after Pardew revealed the defender may need surgery.

He said: "Unfortunately Davide's hurt his knee. It looked a bit unhealthy after training so he's had to have a scan.

"It's a worry, because it looks like it could be a cartilage, not the most serious type of injury but not something you want when he has just come into the building.

"Maybe we are looking at a month out. He is going to have to get it cleaned out and then it is keyhole surgery nowadays which is a quicker operation but it will certainly mean at least four weeks out."

Santon also suffered problems with his right knee during his time at the San Siro, but Pardew insists the player had a thorough medical prior to joining, which did not flag up a knee problem.

"Davide has had a few injuries in the last couple of years and that is not ideal, especially as he has been through a really thorough medical.

"He is a little bit unlucky if I am honest as we are only a week or so down from the medical.

"He trained [yesterday] and trained very, very well. It was just when he came off, he complained a little bit and we are siding on caution with him at the moment.

"At Premier League level, with most clubs the medicals are very thorough irrespective of a player's past history.

"He has had MRIs and his medical would have been no different from anyone else's just as it was the same for Demba Ba, who has a history of knee problems.

"We did not have any plans to go beyond that for Santon because it did not flag up. We did not try to protect him in any way in the medical. I just think he has been unlucky, there was no problem after the reserve game."

Newcastle travel to Aston Villa tomorrow, where Pardew hopes his side can extend their unbeaten start to the season.

One major factor for their impressive start is the form of central defensive pair Steven Taylor and Fabricio Coloccini, which has helped the Tynesiders to three clean sheets in their opening four games.

Taylor's future on Tyneside looked uncertain prior to Pardew's arrival, but less than a month after he took over at St James Park, the 25-year-old signed a five-year deal.

Now, he is back at the heart of the Magpies defence and Pardew believes England coach Fabio Capello should consider the defender for future.

He said: "I would put him in with the top centre-backs.

"I think Terry and Ferdinand have been absolutely outstanding, but now there is a new batch coming through and Steven should be in that batch. I am not saying he should be a starter, but I think he should certainly be in that batch.

"I am really pleased and I genuinely feel that our two centre-backs have been the two stand-out players for us.

"One is our new captain, and you have to wonder how he does not get a game for his country for the way he has been performing, and then you have Steven Taylor, who has come back to form, in my view, with a trimmer body and he is a better player for that.

"I thought he got a little bit carried away with building up his upper body using weights. He now looks quicker and sharper.

"With Steven, the only question mark is can he do a full campaign? I do not think there has ever been any doubt about his ability. He has proved that but it is now about staying in that position for a campaign.

"Centre-backs are always in their best years at 27 or 28. It is not a position when you are at your best at 23 or 24.

"With strikers, sometimes it is different. Michael Owen is a case in point because his better years were 17 to 22. With a centre-back, that is never going to be the case. You need to learn the tricks of how strikers bump into you and put you off balance in order to manoeuvre you around.

"Steven copes very well with all different types of striker. It is all about Steven himself, he is determined to get his career back on track because there is no doubt in my mind that (it went off track)."