Taylor set for crucial operation
Newcastle utility man Ryan Taylor is heading to the United States for career-saving surgery.
The 28-year-old was bound for Denver, Colorado, and the clinic of renowned knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman after suffering a second anterior cruciate ligament injury of the season. Taylor revealed his imminent departure via his Twitter account on Tuesday night.
He tweeted: "All ready for my long flight to Denver tomorrow. Loads asking am I going to see Dr Steadman? I sure am. I'm over to have my ACL repaired again. Then the recovery begins to get back."
Taylor has managed only two senior appearances this season after damaging his cruciate ligament for the first time in the Europa League qualifier second-leg clash with Greek side Atromitos at St James' Park on August 30.
The former Wigan player underwent surgery which left him facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
However, after eight months on the sidelines, he was on the verge of making a comeback when disaster struck once again in training.
As a result, he is likely to miss most, if not all, of the 2013-14 season.
Taylor is the latest Newcastle player to call upon the services of Dr Steadman, who is credited with saving Alan Shearer's career and operated on Craig Bellamy before reconstructing Michael Owen's knee after the injury he suffered on England duty at the 2006 World Cup finals.
