Beye blow for Magpies

Newcastle boss Alan Shearer is facing yet another injury crisis as he prepares for Sunday’s crunch trip to Aston Villa.

The club’s only right-back, Habib Beye (hamstring), is out while their only left-back, Joe Enrique (hamstring), has only just returned to full training.

Skipper Michael Owen (groin) will undergo a late fitness test and Obafemi Martins is being nursed through his own long-standing groin problem, although Alan Smith (thigh) is fit.

Central defender Sebastien Bassong is suspended after losing an appeal against his red card against Fulham last weekend, and he joins the banned Joey Barton on the sidelines.

Provisional squad: Harper, Forster, Krul, Enrique, Coloccini, S. Taylor, Edgar, Cacapa, Butt, Duff, R. Taylor, Gutierrez, Nolan, Guthrie, Lovenkrands, Geremi, Smith, Martins, Owen, Viduka, Xisco, Ranger.