Carroll - "I'm Ready for Sunderland".

Andy Carroll could be in line for a return to the Newcastle United lineup as early as the Tyne-Wear derby on January 16th. According to the player.

Talking after his side's 1-0 away win at Wigan this afternoon, Alan Pardew revealed that Carroll has played up his chances of being fit for the tie despite Newcastle medical staff being unable to assess the seriousness of the thigh injury currently keeping him sidelined. Initial reports suggested that Carroll's rehabilitation would lead to a 4 week absence from the team.

“He will definitely miss West Ham and I think he’ll definitely miss Stevenage (next Saturday), but talking to the boy, he thinks he is ready for Sunderland already.”

Discerning Fantasy managers will no doubt be approaching such claims with caution. However, with the wildcard enabling Gameweek 22 approaching, Carroll would have either been an automatic retainer or high on shopping lists of those wanting a shake-up.

Carroll has been a revelation so far this season bagging 113 points and soaring to £6.5m in value going into Gameweek 21. For the 52% of managers who have selected him, Carroll has also proved reliable in yielding points consistently for a player still firmly in in the 'bargain' bracket.

Managers in search of a differential take note: 23,000 managers purged the rangy hitman from their teams leading into Gameweek 21; a number which is only set to increase until the prognosis is revealed. However, if Carroll were to return for Gameweek 23, the rewards for those brave enough to back the player could be substantial.