Newcastle will be without Abdoulaye Faye for around three weeks with a hamstring injury suffered at the weekend. Faye will miss matches against Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers with Cacapa or Beye likely to return to the side. Alternatively, Taylor could move to his preferred central role having been deployed at right-back in recent games.

There is some consolation for Big Sam however in that both Carr and Given are nearing fitness. They’ve been absent with groin and hamstring injuries respectively but both are set to be in contention for starts against Liverpool next time out.