Discipline problems mount for Magpies

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew will be without suspended trio Kevin Nolan, Cheick Tiote and James Perch for tomorrow’s Barclays Premier League trip to Aston Villa.

Skipper Nolan picked up his 10th booking of the season in last weekend’s 4-1 victory over Wolves and must sit out two games, while Tiote completes a similar ban and Perch serves his punishment for a red card on reserve-team duty.

Ryan Taylor returns to contention after completing his three-match suspension and full-back Jose Enrique (hamstring) is fit, but Stephen Ireland is ineligible under the terms of his loan agreement.

French winger Hatem Ben Arfa is back on Tyneside and is expected to resume training with the first-team squad after recovering from a double leg fracture the week after next, but Leon Best is out for the season after undergoing ankle surgery and Dan Gosling (knee) and Alan Smith (ankle) remain on the sidelines.

Provisional squad (from): Harper, Krul, Simpson, Ferguson, Enrique, Coloccini, Williamson, Campbell, S. Taylor, R. Taylor, Barton, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Vuckic, Tavernier, Richardson, Lovenkrands, Ameobi, Ranger, Kuqi.