St James' Park
Kick-off: Saturday, 17.30 (GMT)
TV: Sky Sports 1, Highlights, BBC ONE Match of the Day
John Carver is hoping for a series of fitness boosts as he continues in the role of caretaker Newcastle boss.
Midfielders Mehdi Abeid (foot), Siem de Jong and Gabriel Obertan (both thigh) and Rolando Aarons (hamstring) are all on the comeback trail, although none are expected to make the squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Southampton.
Jonas Gutierrez continues his battle for fitness after recovering from testicular cancer, while goalkeepers Rob Elliot (thigh) and Jak Alnwick (shoulder), defender Steven Taylor (Achilles), utility man Ryan Taylor (knee) and striker Adam Armstrong (foot) are still out, while Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse are away on African Nations Cup duty.
Victor Wanyama, Morgan Schneiderlin and Toby Alderweireld are amongst those missing when Southampton return to Premier League action.
Wanyama will miss up to five weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in Wednesday's FA Cup third-round replay at Ipswich - a match fellow defensive midfielder Schneiderlin missed with an adductor strain, which also rules him out of the St James' Park trip.
Alderweireld is sidelined with a hamstring strain, seeing him join Sam Gallagher and Jay Rodriguez in the treatment room, while Maya Yoshida, Sadio Mane and Emmanuel Mayuka have international commitments.
Match notes
Southampton have already outclassed Newcastle once this season, a 4-0 thrashing at St Mary’s that embarrassed the Magpies, not only during the game, but also before it when assistant manager John Carver argued with travelling supporters over banners calling for his former boss Alan Pardew to be sacked.
Carver would love to repair some of the damage with a home win, but the Saints are back in the sort of form they were in at the start of the season and could well do the double over opponents who have lost six out of their last eight games.
Referee: Robert Madley:5 Y19 R0
Betting: Home 12-5 Away 23-20 Draw 23-10.
Stat: Southampton have dropped just two points from winning positions so far this season, the fewest in the top flight.
Luke Edwards' prediction: 1-2
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