Last Updated: Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:56
Newcastle will welcome back Chieck Tiote for the trip to Tottenham but Hatem Ben Arfa has been struck down by illness and misses out.
Tiote has been unavailable for the last five games after being away on international duty at the African Nations Cup but is now back in England after the Ivory Coast went out at the quarter-final stage in midweek.
The midfielder is fit to play but boss Alan Pardew now just has to decide whether the player needs rest or can go straight into the side at White Hart Lane.
However, it is bad news regarding Ben Arfa, who has been out since November with hamstring trouble. The playmaker was said to be closing in on a return to action but has not been able to train all week after being struck down by a virus.
"He is genuinely sick and has missed four or five days on the training ground," Pardew revealed. "He has a good chance of being available for Southampton.
"But he is doubtful for the two European games when we initially thought he would be involved in those."
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