Cisse facing months on sidelines

Newcastle United's Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse will be out of action for several months following an operation on a fractured kneecap, the club announced on Friday. "Newcastle United can confirm that striker Papiss Cisse underwent an operation on a fractured patella on Thursday," read a statement on the club website. "He is expected to be sidelined for a number of months." Cisse, 28, sustained the injury during his side's 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City last month and travelled to Paris to undergo surgery on Thursday. The Senegal international has fallen behind fellow strikers Loic Remy and Shola Ameobi in the St James' Park pecking order this season and has scored only twice in the English Premier League. He will begin his rehabilitation at the Clairefontaine Medical Centre just outside Paris before returning to Newcastle to be assessed by the club's medical staff. Source: FIFA.com