Key pair missing for Magpies

Newcastle will begin life without striker Demba Ba and midfielder Cheick Tiote in tomorrow’s FA Cup third round clash with Blackburn.

The pair will be missing for several weeks after heading off on African Nations Cup duty with Senegal and the Ivory Coast respectively.

The game will come too soon for midfielder Danny Guthrie, who is expected to return to training after a groin injury on Monday, while Peter Lovenkrands (calf), Steven Taylor (Achilles) and Sylvain Marveaux (groin) remain on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Krul, Elliot, Harper, Simpson, R. Taylor, Santon, Ferguson, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, Kadar, Cabaye, Obertan, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Sammy Ameobi, Gosling, Abeid, Vuckic, Best, Shola Ameobi.