Some great news coming out of Newcastle as John Carver has confirmed that Jonas Gutierrez will be part of the squad for this weekends Premier League fixture. It will be the first time in 15 months that he will be fit enough to take part in first team football after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
It marks a remarkable recovery having undergone surgery in September followed by chemotherapy treatment. He returned to training in November but it looked likely that he would not feature for the first team again. However, it is a testament to his determination which has seen coach John Carver see enough of an improvement to include him.
When I first saw him (in December) I was really concerned, but I suppose that’s natural because he has come from a serious illness. Over the weeks he has got fitter and stronger. Yesterday, more than any other, I have seen the old Jonas Gutierrez, and that was the first time I’ve seen that.
It is great to see Gutierrez doing so well and is one of those stories that will see fans across the country united in support of the player. Carver went on to explain the rousing reception he can expect at St. James Park on Saturday.
Listen, I’m telling you now, when we announce the team at the weekend and our fans hear that Jonas is on the bench, can you imagine the feeling in the stadium? There is going to be a feel-good factor. To actually come back and play in the Premier League again would be magnificent. He’s had a hard fight.
Newcastle take on Aston Villa on Saturday and it would be absolutely amazing to see Jonas take the field. And with Villa's current form they would prove the perfect opposition for somebody coming back from 15 months without first team football.
