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Newcastle United, play Tony Pulis’ Stoke City in the Premier League at St James’ Park On Saturday.
Joe Kinnear’s Magpies go into this clash with Premier League debutantes Stoke, having drawn three, won one and lost one in their last five matches in the Premiership. Newcastle drew 0-0, last time out against Middlesbrough, in the North East derby at the Riverside Stadium, but welcomed back Australian International Mark Viduka to the side, who Kinnear hopes can score the goals to enable the Toon to climb up the table. Where they are currently in 17th place and just off the drop zone by virtue of goal difference.
Stoke will be pleased by their recent form in their first season in the Premier League, with the Potters only losing once in their last six league games to Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford. This run has seen them beat Arsenal, Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion at the Britannia Stadium, while drawing away to Hull City and Wigan Athletic. This sees Pulis’ side in 14th place in the table, but still only three points of the relegation zone, with a win at St James’ Park vital if they are to steer clear of a relegation fight.
Newcastle will be without Damien Duff (groin), Alan Smith (achilles), Ignacio Gonzalez (achilles) and Joey Barton (knee) for the visit of the Potters, while Kinnear will wait to see if Shola Ameobi (ankle) and Xisco (groin) can recover in time to feature against Stoke.
Stoke are still without Liam Lawrence (ankle), but Pulis could have Ryan Shawcross (back) and Dave Kitson (knee) available for the trip to the North East in this crunch Premier League clash.
Newcastle United: (from) Given, Coloccini, Taylor, Enrique, Cacapa, Guthrie, Martins, Owen, Bassong, N’Zogbia, Gutierrez, Xisco, Harper, Geremi, Beye, Butt, Ameobi, Kadar, Edgar, Forster, Tozer, Viduka, LuaLua, Carroll
Stoke City: (from) Sorensen, Griffin, Higginbotham, Olofinjana, Cort, Whelan, Soares, Cresswell, Fuller, Sidibe, Kitson, Pugh, Pericard, Matteo, Shawcross, Diao, De Laet, Davies, Tonge, Delap, Diagne-Faye, Phillips, Wilkinson, Simonsen, Dickinson, Sonko
Stoke City play, Tony Mowbray’s West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.
Potters manager Tony Pulis will go into the clash with West Brom full of confidence, despite being thrashed 5-0 by Premier League Champions Manchester United last weekend. Stoke might be just a point off the relegation zone, but have proved hard to beat in the Premiership at the Britannia, with wins against Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland and Aston Villa already this season.
The Baggies know that they have to start picking up points in the Premiership quickly if they are to survive and have only one point to show for their last six games in the Premiership. A run in which they have only scored three times and conceded 17, which sees West Brom rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.
Pulis is still unable to call on Liam Lawrence (ankle) and Andrew Davies (knee), who are both still a week away from fitness, but otherwise has a full squad to choose from for the visit of the Baggies to the Britannia.
West Brom will be missing Kim Do-Heon and Neil Clement, who both have knee injuries, but could welcome back Leon Barnett for the clash with the Potters if the defender shakes off a knee injury in time for this must win game.
Stoke City: (from) Sorensen, Griffin, Higginbotham, Olofinjana, Cort, Whelan, Soares, Cresswell, Fuller, Sidibe, Kitson, Pugh, Pericard, Matteo, Shawcross, Diao, A Faye, Tonge, Delap, A Diagne-Faye, Phillips, Simonsen, Wilkinson, Dickinson, Sonko
West Bromwich Albion: (from) Carson, Hoefkens, Robinson, Cech, Barnett, Koren, Greening, Bednar, Miller, Brunt, MacDonald, Moore, Dorrans, Pele, Kiely, Teixeira, Slusarski, Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Morrison, Valero, Donk
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