Southampton v Newcastle: Five Changes

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter

Alan Pardew has made five changes to his Newcastle United starting line-up for Sunday's Premier League fixture away at Southampton.

The Magpies are looking for their first league win in four attempts as they travel to St. Mary's, and the manager has recalled Mike Williamson, Jonas Gutierrez, Cheick Tiote, Shane Ferguson and eight-goal leading scorer Demba Ba.

Missing out are suspended club captain Fabricio Coloccini, Gael Bigirimana, Sammy Ameobi, Sylvain Marveaux and the injured Hatem Ben Arfa.

United are expected to line-up in a 4-4-2 formation with goalkeeper Tim Krul behind a defensive unit of Danny Simpson, Williamson, Steven Taylor and Davide Santon.

Stand-in skipper Gutierrez should take up a position on the right-hand side of midfield, with Ferguson on the opposite flank and Tiote partnering Vurnon Anita in the middle of the park.

And it is an all-Senegalese strike force, with Papiss Cisse shaking off a slight thigh knock to join Ba up top.

On the substitutes' bench there is a place for striker Nile Ranger, whose last first team appearance came in May 2011 at Chelsea.

Fellow youngsters James Tavernier, Gael Bigirimana and Sammy Ameobi are also named, along with the versatile James Perch, who is fit again following a thigh injury.

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Paulo Gazzaniga; Nathaniel Clyne, Jose Fonte, Maya Yoshida, Luke Shaw; Morgan Schneiderlin, Jack Cork; Jason Puncheon, Adam Lallana (c), Gaston Ramírez; Rickie Lambert

Substitutes: Kelvin Davis; Jos Hooiveld, Steven Davis, James Ward-Prowse, Emmanuel Mayuka, Guly Do Prado, Jay Rodriguez

Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor, Davide Santon; Jonas Gutierrez (c), Vurnon Anita, Cheick Tiote, Shane Ferguson; Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse

Substitutes: Steve Harper, James Tavernier, James Perch, Gael Bigirimana, Sylvain Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Nile Ranger

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)