Newcastle match preview

Quashie - out

It's been a topsy-turvy week off the pitch, but then when hasn't it been in the last month or so? Harry going to Southampton shouldn't have made much difference to our performance, after all professional footballers won't be nearly as bothered by locally rivalry as the fans - that is until we lost Kevin Bond, one of our few first team coaches. Nothing like a bit of mayhem and confusion.

The same team who started last Saturday are unlikely to take the field at St James', as David Unsworth and Nigel Quashie are both doubts with injury. Presumably Taylor will stand in at left back as he did after Rhino went off at the weekend, with Berger playing left midfield. We'll wait and see with interest if Berkovic and LuaLua start, as their appearances in the last twenty minutes turned the game against West Brom.

Lua is probably only 75% fit, but it might well be worth taking the risk against his former club and throwing him on from the start to see what happens - if he pulls up injured, then at least we had his skills and pace for however long he lasts. Ricardo Fuller has really been battling away up front on his own and getting some unfair stick when in reality it's a lose-lose situation, normally taking on two defenders single handedly, but with LuaLua by his side for the tail-end of the WBA game, he looked a different player.

Rubbish

The bad news coming out of Newcastle is that Alan Shearer has recovered from his calf injury and is likely to be in the squad. The good news is that Patrick Kluivert seems to have fallen out with Graham Souness already, and is being challenged to show he really has the ability and desire for Premier League football. Either way, they still have Craig Bellamy to fall back on - just pray for the woeful Shola Ameobi. Nicky Butt and Steve Carr, meanwhile, will also both miss out through injury.

Newcastle have been a bit up and down this season, and it's ridiculous to think that we go into this game above them in the league. It won't be easy of course - they're a good side, and will be looking for a point to prove after collapsing 4-0 to Chelsea last weekend - but it can be done; Fulham demolished them 4-1 last month, although admittedly courtesy of a virtuouso goalkeeping display from Mark Crossley. Even so, I'm not really thinking about three points - a draw would be a fantastic result with a trip to Anfield on Tuesday, and the visit of the Champions on Sunday.