Newcastle United has been able to secure some impressive wins despite being thin at striker.
Papiss Cissé’s continuing knee problems in the wake of undergoing surgery last April has become a bigger issue.
“We need another striker in January if we can get one,” said Alan Pardew. “Papiss is still not right,” said Pardew, currently restricted to using Cissé in brief cameo appearances from the bench. “You can see that in the way he moves and that’s something we need to look at. I don’t think he needs more surgery on his knee but he’s not quite right.”
With Facundo Ferreyra having failed to impress since arriving on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, Newcastle have been overdependent on Ayoze Pérez, a former Tenerife striker originally destined for Peter Beardsley’s development squad.