New Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is hoping for a major fitness boost in his first game in charge against Liverpool this evening.
Joey Barton missed last Sunday's 3-1 defeat at West Brom with a slight groin injury which stopped his return from a three-match ban but he should be ready for Liverpool.
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Skipper Kevin Nolan is also expected to be fit following the ankle problem which has kept him out for the last two games.
Danny Guthrie was stretchered off at the Hawthorns with an ankle injury but the injury is not as bad as was first feared and he could yet take his place in the squad.
Steve Harper played a reserve team game in midweek on his return from shoulder surgery and is nearly ready for a return, as is Leon Best.
Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson serve the final game of their three-match bans and Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor and Hatem Ben Arfa are all still out.
Striker Fernando Torres returns to Liverpool's starting line-up after missing Monday's victory over Aston Villa to be at the birth of his second child. Ryan Babel will most likely make way.
Captain Steven Gerrard is still a week away from making his comeback from a hamstring injury, so manager Roy Hodgson is likely to retain all but one of the side who comfortably beat Villa.
Newcastle Squad: Krul, Soderberg, Simpson, Perch, Ferguson, Enrique, S. Taylor, Campbell, Kadar, Barton, Tiote, Smith, Routledge, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Nolan, Vuckic, Tavernier, Donaldson, Carroll, Ameobi, Lovenkrands, Ranger, Xisco.
Liverpool Squad: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt, Rodriguez, Torres, Ngog, Jones, Aurelio, Kelly, Poulsen, Jovanovic, Cole, Babel, Shelvey.
Same side as Monday with Torres coming in for Babel or do we start him on the bench ? It's hard to change a winning team and would give Babel confidence or is that just madness on my part?
Joey Barton missed last Sunday's 3-1 defeat at West Brom with a slight groin injury which stopped his return from a three-match ban but he should be ready for Liverpool.
Article continues below...
Skipper Kevin Nolan is also expected to be fit following the ankle problem which has kept him out for the last two games.
Danny Guthrie was stretchered off at the Hawthorns with an ankle injury but the injury is not as bad as was first feared and he could yet take his place in the squad.
Steve Harper played a reserve team game in midweek on his return from shoulder surgery and is nearly ready for a return, as is Leon Best.
Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson serve the final game of their three-match bans and Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor and Hatem Ben Arfa are all still out.
Striker Fernando Torres returns to Liverpool's starting line-up after missing Monday's victory over Aston Villa to be at the birth of his second child. Ryan Babel will most likely make way.
Captain Steven Gerrard is still a week away from making his comeback from a hamstring injury, so manager Roy Hodgson is likely to retain all but one of the side who comfortably beat Villa.
Newcastle Squad: Krul, Soderberg, Simpson, Perch, Ferguson, Enrique, S. Taylor, Campbell, Kadar, Barton, Tiote, Smith, Routledge, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Nolan, Vuckic, Tavernier, Donaldson, Carroll, Ameobi, Lovenkrands, Ranger, Xisco.
Liverpool Squad: Reina, Johnson, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos, Konchesky, Lucas, Meireles, Kuyt, Rodriguez, Torres, Ngog, Jones, Aurelio, Kelly, Poulsen, Jovanovic, Cole, Babel, Shelvey.
Same side as Monday with Torres coming in for Babel or do we start him on the bench ? It's hard to change a winning team and would give Babel confidence or is that just madness on my part?