NEWCASTLE, England, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Newcastle United's Portuguese midfielder Hugo Viana will be out of action for the next ten weeks as he prepares for shoulder surgery on Friday, the club has said.
Viana, who will turn 20 in January, dislocated his shoulder in a training ground collision at the club earlier this month.
'There had been some doubt about whether we should rehabilitate it without surgery but when he had his second examination the shoulder popped out again so the surgeon said it needs pinning,' Newcastle manager Bobby Robson said on Thursday.
'Hugo will have his shoulder pinned tomorrow in Portugal. They are talking about ten weeks before he plays football again, although our doctor thinks it will be longer. Brian Kerr had a similar injury last season and it took five months.
'It is probably the right decision. I had this situation with (England captain) Bryan Robson in the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico, so I know a bit about it. Any bump or fall and the shoulder could pop out again," he added.
The left-footed Viana joined Newcastle from Sporting Lisbon for £8.5million in the close season, but his first-team opportunities have been limited by the form of Wales captain Gary Speed.
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