Ryan Taylor targeting Sunderland game for injury return

Newcastle United defender Ryan Taylor is targeting the Magpies' derby clash with Sunderland in April as his return date from injury.

The 28-year-old has been out of action since August after sustaining a knee injury in Alan Pardew's side's Europa League qualifying game with Atromitos.

"I'm about five-and-a-half months into my rehab so there's hopefully not much longer left," he told the club's official website.

"I haven't really got a date or a game in mind but one game I would love to be back for is the derby - and it's a realistic target to be aiming for that."

Newcastle eased their relegation worries with a 4-2 win over Southampton on Sunday.