McDonald Eyes Newcastle Game To Start Goal-Run

Scott McDonald is back in training after seeing a specialist about his troublesome hernia. The 26-year-old has had problems with the injury since he had surgery in January and has not been match fit for Boro since signing from Celtic for £3.5million in the transfer window.

A second operation was on the cards for the Australian international before a trip to see a specialist recently confirmed he only needed injections to recover from the injury allowing the former Celtic striker to return to light training this week.

Although he is back on Teesside and back in training the Cardiff City game may come too soon for him and it is likely that Gordon Strachan will rest him for another week before unleashing him against Newcastle United a week on Saturday.

Talking to the Northern Echo McDonald insists he wants to be fully fit before putting a Boro shirt on again.

“Whether or not I am ready for Saturday we’ll wait and see. It’s just a day by day progression,” he said. “The most important thing is if it’s not this week we’ll look towards the Newcastle game. But whenever I come back it has to be 100per cent right this time. That is the most important thing for me and for Middlesbrough.” – Scott McDonald

I’m pretty sure that Strachan would play McDonald even if he was only 75per cent match-fit so I wouldn’t count him out of the squad for the trip to the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday.

It’s important for Strachan’s boys to keep the momentum going after last Saturday’s home win over Queens Park Rangers and if McDonald is not available it means the likes of Lita and Killen will have to step up to the plate. The challenge is there for them two now so let’s see how they handle it before one of them drops down to the bench when McDonald is back raring to go.

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