Friday, April 26, 2013

Premier League - Matchpack: Newcastle United v Liverpool - Yahoo! Eurosport UK

Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote could return to the side for Saturday evening's crucial Premier League clash with Liverpool. Tiote missed the 1-1 draw at West Brom last weekend with a hamstring injury, but resumed training this week and will be available. Skipper Fabricio Coloccini is also back on the training pitch after a back problem, but he is short of match fitness after seven weeks on the sidelines and is unlikely to start, while midfielder Sylvain Marveaux (groin) is out and full-back Davide Santon (hamstring) may not play again this season along with keeper Tim Krul (shoulder) and utility man Ryan Taylor (cruciate ligament).

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez begins his suspension for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic and misses the trip to Newcastle. Daniel Sturridge, who came on as a substitute to score one and provide the assist for the equaliser in a dramatic 2-2 draw, will take the Uruguay international's place. Reduced options up front because of Suarez's absence could mean forward Fabio Borini, out since February with a dislocated shoulder but training again, could make the squad.

Alan Pardew on Luis Suarez's ban: "They have still to answer, the FA, why that was and probably that would be interesting for all Premier League managers to know exactly why it's 10 games. It's difficult. It's an incident that everybody was shocked by and probably even Suarez shocked himself by doing it. But you have got young kids playing in the park and obviously we don't want to see that kind of action.Having said that, we feel that some of the fines we have taken at this football club are fair, but you do want to get a general feel of exactly why these decisions are made."

Brendan Rodgers on dealing with the Uruguayan striker: "As managers we look after the technical and physical side but the wellness and mental side of players can sometimes get overlooked. It is a very important aspect of modern life and he will have all the help in order to improve and make that behaviour not happen again."

Liverpool have won nine and drawn one of the last 13 Barclays Premier League games against Newcastle in Premier League history.

Newcastle had won four successive home games before a defeat to rivals Sunderland in their last game at St James Park (0-3).

Only Newcastle v Tottenham (38, at both venues) has seen more Premier League meetings without a single 0-0 draw than Newcastle v Liverpool (37).

Newcastle have not lost a Premier League game having been two goals or more up since December 1998, when they lost 2-4 to Liverpool. The Magpies have played 508 Premier League games since that defeat.

Only against Aston Villa (11) has Steven Gerrard scored more Premier League goals than he has against Newcastle (seven).

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