Toon Army sweat on fitness of quartet

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has a number of injury concerns ahead of his side’s Barclays Premier League opener at home against Tottenham on Saturday.

There are doubts over a key quartet of players, with strikers Papiss Cisse and Demba Ba and midfielders Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa all needing to have their fitness assessed, but defender Fabricio Coloccini should be able to play, despite suffering a knock in last weekend’s friendly defeat to Cardiff.

Fellow centre-back Steven Taylor and midfielder Sylvain Marveaux are both back in the squad after long-term injury lay-offs, while new recruits Vurnon Anita, Curtis Good, Gael Bigirimana and Romain Amalfitano are available to make their debuts.

Provisional squad: Krul, Elliot, Harper, Santon, R. Taylor, Ferguson, Tavernier, Perch, Coloccini, Williamson, S. Taylor, Simpson, Tiote, Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Obertan, Marveaux, Abeid, Gosling, Vuckic, Ba, Cisse, Shola Ameobi, Sammy Ameobi, Anita, Good, Bigirimana, Amalfitano.