Hughes without key players

Mark Hughes will be unable to call upon several of his biggest names for his first game in charge of QPR at Newcastle on Sunday.

Captain Joey Barton remains suspended for the Barclays Premier League trip to his former club, while Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are on African Nations Cup duty.

Alejandro Faurlin (knee) has been ruled out for the rest of the season and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny is keeping his fingers crossed he does not suffer a recurrence of the hip problem that has dogged him recently.

Provisional squad: Kenny, Cerny, Murphy, Gabbidon, Connolly, Hill, Bothroyd, Orr, Derry, Buzsaky, Young, Smith, Mackie, Helguson, Wright-Phillips, Hulse, Campbell, Macheda.