Game On! Newcastle v Stoke

Welcome one and all to our 'Game On' article which this afternoon will oversee the visit of Stoke City to St James' Park.

Three points is a must if Newcastle are to keep up any lingering hopes of stealing a place in the Champions League for next season, but three points would also help us on our way to guaranteeing European football for next season via the Europa League.

It's not going to be easy and patience may be needed today as we set about breaking down a Stoke side who will look to nullify our own threat first and foremost before presenting any threat of their own. However they are always a danger at set pieces and one lapse in concentration at the back may be enough to have us chasing the game and looking for a way back into it.

Anyway, no more waffle is needed really. We know what is needed and, by listening to some of the players during the week, so do they. All we can do is wait and see how it pans out.

However, if you are a bit more information, maybe some stats or injury news then you could always have a look at our Stat Attack or Match Preview if you haven't already done so. Both are worth a read but, as always, the Stat Attack brings an insight into the game that goes far deeper than many other sites out there.

That wraps it up really. Team news is featured below and will be updated as and when the full teamsheet becomes available. Also the game is not on TV here in the UK so if anybody just happens to stumble across a stream that looks useful the please feel free to share the link with your fellow NUFC fans.

Howay the lads!

Newcastle: Tim, Krul, Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini, Davide Santon, Yohan Cabaye, Cheik Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez, Hatem Ben Arfa, Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba

Subs: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Dan Gosling, Ryan Taylor, Leon Best, Shola Ameobi

Stoke: Asmir Begovic, Andy Wilkinson, Robert Huth, Ryan Shawcross, Marc Wilson, Ryan Shotton, Wilson Palacios, Glenn Whelan, Matthew Etherington, Peter Crouch, Jonathan Walters

Subs: Thomas Sorenson, Matthew Upson, Deam Whitehead, Jermaine Penant, Cameron Jerome, Kenwyne Jones, Ricardo Fuller