Newcastle vs West Ham preview - Carry on Ameobi

Posted Wednesday, January 05, 2011 by PA

Shola Ameobi is again likely to lead the line for Newcastle against West Ham with Andy Carroll still sidelined.

Carroll will miss out again with a thigh injury and is unlikely to be fit for Saturday's FA Cup third round trip to Stevenage as he targets a return at Sunderland on January 16.

Ameobi could once again be partnered by Peter Lovenkrands, although manager Alan Pardew has promised Leon Best and Nile Ranger that they will get chances as he attempts to make the most of his squad.

Defender Sol Campbell will sit out again as he recovers from illness, while Dan Gosling is approaching full fitness after his long-term knee injury.

Hatem Ben Arfa (double leg fracture) and Ryan Taylor (ankle ligaments) remain on the sidelines.

Pardew will hope for more of the same as the resurgent Hammers head for Tyneside desperate to continue their recent climb away from trouble.

A run of four league games without defeat, which has brought eight points, has eased them into 16th place, five points adrift of Newcastle in 10th.

Pardew, of course, spent more than three years in charge at Upton Park and guided the club back into the top flight via the play-offs before being relieved of his duties in December 2006.

He has not been back since, but is determined to do just that next season with both clubs still in the Premier League.

He said: "I haven't actually been back to Upton Park since I left, not to watch a game.

"I have purposely kept away because when I did return, I wanted to return with a really good team, and I hope to do that next year in the Premier League for both clubs.

"This game is important because it's about this year and about both of us making sure we are Premier League sides.

"I think West Ham will escape the drop and I certainly hope we will, and a victory for us tomorrow would certainly go a long way towards putting a little bit of distance between us and that pressure cooker down at the bottom."

West Ham will check on Lars Jacobsen and Valon Behrami.

Full-back Jacobsen has been struggling with a heel injury and midfielder Behrami has been out for a month with a hip problem, but both were expected to train today.

Midfielder Mark Noble is in line to start after returning from his hip injury as a substitute against Wolves, but Kieron Dyer (thigh), Herita Ilunga (leg), Benni McCarthy (calf), Thomas Hitzlsperger (thigh), Jack Collison (knee) and Manuel da Costa (ankle) remain sidelined.

Boss Avram Grant looking to build on a run of four games unbeaten.

"The feeling is good but there is a long way to go," Grant said.

"We did well in the last 10 days and we are very happy because we needed points and we felt we deserved points.

"The atmosphere is the same, the spirit is good and of course the players are happier. At the end of the day football is about results.

"There is a long way to go and we know we will have good days and not so good days.

"We will face tough times and good times until the end of the season. But want to continue our good momentum.

"It will be an interesting game, Newcastle are a very good team but we are concentrating on what we have to do."