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Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor aiming to return against Sunderland

Taylor aiming for Sunderland return
© PA Photos
Steven Taylor admits that he is desperate to be fit to face Sunderland this weekend.

Steven Taylor has admitted that he is desperate to recover from injury to play against Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby this weekend.

Newcastle United defender Taylor has been struggling with a calf strain sustained against Reading last month.

Taylor has been a regular feature of the Magpies defence so far this season, while Alan Pardew has had to contend with persistent injury problems to centre-back partner Fabricio Coloccini.

Both players are fighting to be fit for this weekend's clash with the Mackems in a game that means everything to Toon fans, according to Taylor.

He told the club's official website: "The main thing for me is being 100% fit for the Sunderland game.

"Playing in the derby is what it's all about if you're a Newcastle player, and the build-up will grow and grow over this week as the game draws near. There's always a massive build-up, and that's the way it should be.

"I think I feel it more than most because I'm a Geordie and a lifelong Newcastle fan, so I'll be reminding the lads just how much it means to the people around here."

Newcastle sit in tenth place in the Premier League - three points above their local rivals - ahead of their trip to the Stadium of Light.

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