Former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark is worried Newcastle could be hanging too much hope on Andy Carroll to save their season.
The Magpies limped to a disappointing 0-0 draw at home to Brighton last weekend and had just 29 per cent possession.
Carroll's introduction from the bench for his second Newcastle debut provided a rare bright spark on an otherwise dismal day and fans are excited to see what the 30-year-old will bring to the table now he is back fit.
The England international forward has suffered torrid luck with injuries across the last few seasons and the priority now for Newcastle is to make sure his body holds up.
Steve Bruce believes, of his type, there isn't anybody better than a 'fit and firing' Carroll and while Clark agrees, he is wary of placing too much pressure on the former Liverpool and West Ham star.
"I was absolutely delighted to see Andy Carroll back in Newcastle colours, but the problem we've got is everyone is hanging their hopes on him because of the season we've had," Clark told Tribal Football.
"It's a big call because of his injury problems, he's not going to be straight into the firing line in terms of starting games. It's going to have to be a gradual process with Andy working up his match fitness.
"He got 10-15 minutes against Brighton and I think Steve will be trying to use him from the bench and maybe giving him a little bit longer with each appearance, then seeing how long it will take before he believes he is ready to start.
"But Andy has obviously lifted the mood around the club and around the city. All I'd warn is that there's a lot of pressure on him because everyone is hanging their hopes on him to be the one that turns things around for the club."
