Haidara escapes serious injury

Newcastle defender Massadio Haidara has escaped serious injury from Wigan forward Callum McManaman's horror tackle last weekend, the club have announced.

The Magpies feared the worst when the 20-year-old Frenchman was carried off on a stretcher last weekend after a knee-high challenge - which Newcastle have branded "dangerous".

However, after a number of examinations this week the news is better than expected, and a club statement said: "We can confirm that results of the latest scan on Massadio Haidara show that the player has very fortunately escaped any significant bone or ligament damage following the dangerous tackle by Wigan Athletic's Callum McManaman on Sunday."

The statement continued: "We are very pleased that the extent of his injury is less severe than first feared and is limited to bruising to the bone and soft tissue damage.

"Depending on the speed of his recovery, he should be fit to play again in early April.

"Massadio will continue to be assessed over the coming days.

"He has been very lucky that he has not suffered more serious injury and this positive diagnosis in no way lessens the club's views with regard to the severity of the tackle from which it resulted."

McManaman escaped punishment for the tackle as it was seen by a match official, meaning the Football Association could not retrospectively ban the player using video evidence.