Meanwhile, midfielder Dickson Etuhu had admitted defeat in his efforts to recover from a knee injury ahead of the St James' Park encounter.

Etuhu this week had surgery to address ligament damage he sustained during the African Nations Cup and is out for the rest of the season.

Manager Roy Keane otherwise has only a series of minor knocks to contend with.

Provisional squad: Gordon, Fulop, Bardsley, Collins, McShane, Nosworthy, Evans, Higginbotham, Harte, Whitehead, Reid, Leadbitter, Edwards, Miller, Richardson, O'Donovan, Jones, Waghorn, Murphy, Stokes, Chopra, Prica.