Midfielder Joey Barton may have to wait a little longer for his first Newcastle start after manager Sam Allardyce insisted he will not be ready to face Tottenham.
The 25-year-old, a $165.8 million summer signing from Manchester City, has yet to play a competitive game for the club after fracturing a metatarsal at Carlisle in pre-season.
He had hoped to force his way into contention for Monday night's Barclays Premier League visit of Spurs to St James' Park.
However, despite playing two reserve games and a behind-closed-doors friendly, Allardyce revealed he will be no more than a substitute.
He said: "Joey has got a slight chance of being in the squad at the very best, just on the bench.
"He is a number of games short yet and still trying to catch up on match practice, but he is working very, very hard to get there."
There is better news for striker Mark Viduka, who returned to training yesterday after missing the 3-2 victory over Everton with a calf strain.
Allardyce said: "Mark joined in training, so he is hopefully going to have no reaction to his calf problem."
The manager paired Obafemi Martins with Alan Smith in attack against the Toffees and, although neither scored, both turned in creditable displays.
With Michael Owen now back in contention - he scored as a substitute against David Moyes' men just eight days after undergoing hernia surgery - Allardyce will hope he has decisions to make over the weekend.
That may depend largely on how his international players fare over the next 24 hours, with Owen a particular concern as he attempts to come to terms with the artificial pitch on which England face Russia in Moscow.
Allardyce said: "Every manager will be concerned about every player who is going to play for England on that surface if they have got any previous injury history because it can work muscles and find out different areas of the body or weaknesses that grass doesn't do.
"That's the only concern I have regarding that surface.
"Hopefully we do not get any calls on Wednesday or Thursday saying any of those players are injured."
