Report: Newcastle's Massadio Haidara ruled out 4 months with knee injury

A campaign of misery at St. James' Park continues as young Newcastle United defender Massadio Haidara has been sidelined for four months after suffering a knee injury in training.

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren described the 22-year-old's training ground injury as an "accident," according to the Chronicle.

Haidara will return to his native France for surgery.

With a month before the opening of the January transfer window, McClaren has a crisis with injuries to 10 key first-team players, notably Steven Taylor, Tim Krul, Gabriel Obertan, Jack Colback, Cheick Tiote, and Rolando Aarons.

With Mike Williamson's loan move to Wolves extended until January, the club faces a shortage of defenders for the condensed holiday fixtures list.

It appears matters at Newcastle are getting worse before they get better, as reports of a training ground bust-up have put McClaren's authority into question.

"It's been feisty and there has been some anger," McClaren told reporters.

No word yet on any connection between the "feisty" nature of training and Haidara's subsequent knee injury.