RYAN TAYLOR has allayed fears over the seriousness of the knee injury he sustained during Newcastle United’s 1-0 win over QPR on Saturday.

Having recovered from two career-threatening cruciate ligament injuries, Taylor made his first Premier League start since March 2012 as Newcastle recorded a sixth successive victory to move into the European positions.

However, his involvement was curtailed shortly after the half-hour mark as he fell to the floor clutching his right knee. A lengthy consultation from Newcastle’s medical staff resulted in him hobbling to the dug-out, and he was clearly fighting off tears as he walked from the field.

At the time, it was feared he had suffered another major ligament injury, but an initial examination has suggested the problem involved a jarring of the knee joint rather than any ligament damage.

Further tests are planned for the next few days, but it is hoped Taylor can resume training this week and could potentially even be available for this weekend’s trip to West Ham.

“Thank you all for your positive messages,” Taylor tweeted. “I appreciate them all. Just to let you know I have no major problem and I had to come off just to be on the safe side.

“I was just gutted to come off, that’s why I got so emotional as I’ve worked so hard to get back. Thanks again.”

Taylor’s knee surgeon, Dr Richard Steadman, was at St James’ Park on Saturday, and accompanied the midfielder for an initial round of scans.

His positive prognosis will be a major relief to Magpies manager Alan Pardew, who was clearly concerned about the extent of the problem when he spoke in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s victory.

Taylor’s return to action provided a timely morale boost last month, and was undoubtedly a factor in helping to transform the mood within the Newcastle camp and spark the winning run that has seen the Magpies climb 13 places in the table in the space of a month.

The 30-year-old is an extremely popular figure within the Magpies squad, as well as being a fans’ favourite thanks to his free-kick winner against Sunderland and willingness to watch matches amongst the supporters during his periods of recuperation.

He carried out some scouting duties while he was sidelined for the best part of two years, and while his current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, Pardew has hinted that he could have a long-term future on the coaching staff once his playing days are at an end.

“Whatever happens, we want him as part of the club,” said the Newcastle boss. “There is no question about that. He has shown how important he is, even when he has not been playing.

“But he also showed what an asset he can be on the pitch. I actually thought in that first half-an-hour that if we were going to win, Ryan would be at the heart of it. The two best chances early on fell to him.

“I could see the players were upset when he went off, so I deliberately didn’t mention him at half-time. It was something we had to park because it affected out mentality for a few minutes afterwards.

“You could see us lose momentum, so it’s testimony to the players that we came out and performed that little bit quicker for the second half.”

Moussa Sissoko’s 78th-minute winner settled things, with the Frenchman swivelling in the area to dispatch a crisp low finish past QPR goalkeeper Robert Green.

“I thought the captaincy might knock Moussa out of kilter, but he just put the armband on and actually grew with it,” said Pardew, who saw his side briefly rise to fourth position before Manchester United’s win over Arsenal nudged them back down into fifth. “It was a wonderful goal, and he was the best player on the pitch by some distance, “We had ten really good players missing, so we have got a real depth in the squad which bodes well for the rest of the season. It is a tough December coming up, but we don’t look at the fixtures and think there is anything we can’t deal with.”