JOHN CARVER will be banking on Dutchman Daryl Janmaat’s fitness if he turns out for Holland tomorrow after learning Newcastle United’s defensive problems have deepened.

Massadio Haidara is now likely to miss the rest of the season with knee trouble after surgery in Lyon.

The left-back has not figured for Magpies since he was stretchered off against Aston Villa last month but there were hopes that he might return for the final few weeks of the campaign.

But Carver must now plan for the remaining eight matches without him, which has exposed the team’s lack of defensive cover further.

He has no recognised first team squad left-back to call for the rest of the campaign, with Paul Dummett also sidelined with a knee injury.

Jack Colback, who was frustrated at Sunderland when he was regularly used as a defender, had to fill in at left-back against Arsenal last weekend and he will be the likeliest candidate to operate there again when he returns to the Stadium of Light for the first time next Sunday.

Vuron Anita and Ryan Taylor are the other alternatives, although the fact Fabricio Coloccini is suspended and Steven Taylor is out for the rest of the season restricts what Carver can do against Sunderland.

Janmaat is already having to play out of position as a centre-back in the absence of both Coloccini and Taylor and he played well against Arsenal.

Holland face the Czech Republic in a European Championship qualifier in Amsterdam today and then Spain in a friendly on Tuesday, with Janmaat expected to play a part in at least one of those.

The injury situation is frustrating for Carver, particularly as he had suggested in January that the squad could have done with an extra defender following Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Davide Santon’s moves to Roma and Inter Milan.

Carver is desperate to keep the job full-time and recently claimed that he had been informed of some of the transfer targets Newcastle had in mind for the summer after discussions between chief scout Graham Carr and managing director Lee Charnley.

The chances of him staying in the role have increased, although the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the position means that other candidates continue to be linked.

Former Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, currently in charge of Napoli, is regularly touted for posts in the Premier League and it has again been suggested he is angling for an opening in the summer.

Pepe Reina, the ex-Liverpool keeper who was also in Naples with him, is certain he will want to come back to these shores.

Reina said: “His idea is to be with his family and his family are in Liverpool right now and very happy so if he gets a chance to return to the Premier League, why not?

“He is happy at Napoli right now but family always comes first and it is a decision they have to make. As far as I know, he is happy in Napoli but is looking forward to coming back to England.”

Stuart McCall, meanwhile, has suggested that three of the five players Newcastle sent on loan to Ibrox were not fit enough to do so.

McCall's comments have arrived after Gael Bigirimana was diagnosed with a mystery illness - and he knew he was sick before signing for Rangers.

He was one of five to have been signed on loan from Newcastle without undergoing a medical by former Gers chief executive Derek Llambias.

Remie Streete limped off during his debut, Shane Ferguson has a serious knee injury and has not figured and Kevin Mbabu has been deemed 'nowhere' near fully fit.

McCall said: "Should these guys ever have been sent here? Well, with Bigi being unable to play that's a no-brainer. With Shane, he was on his back but had a little set-back.

"Anybody who comes up for a six-month loan should have a medical - obviously that is not the case. But none of the players are at fault here, they are doing their utmost to be involved."

On Bigirimana, he added: "It's an unfortunate circumstance that really should never have happened."