Newcastle v Chelsea: Five Changes

By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor

Alan Pardew has made five changes to his Newcastle United starting line-up for Saturday's Barclays Premier League home fixture against leaders Chelsea (12.45pm kick-off).

Captain Fabricio Coloccini returns following four weeks out with a calf injury, while Steven Taylor and Remy Cabella are also promoted back into the team from the off, following impressive substitute performances in midweek.

Finally, midfield duo Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback come straight back in having served one-game bans.

The quintet replace Massadio Haidara, Mike Williamson, Mehdi Abeid, Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cisse.

United are expected to start in a 4-3-3 formation at St. James' Park, with Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Rob Elliot protected by a back four of Daryl Janmaat, Taylor, Coloccini and Paul Dummett.

Sissoko and Colback will be joined in the middle of the park by Ivorian enforcer Cheick Tiote.

And in the final third, Cabella and Sammy Ameobi will take up positions on the flanks, either side of three-goal Spanish starlet Ayoze Perez.

On the substitutes' bench there are places for Haidara, Williamson, Gouffran and Cisse, and they are joined by Emmanuel Riviere, Vurnon Anita and Jak Alnwick.

Newcastle United (4-3-3): Rob Elliot; Daryl Janmaat, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Paul Dummett; Moussa Sissoko, Cheick Tiote, Jack Colback; Remy Cabella, Ayoze Perez, Sammy Ameobi

Substitutes: Jak Alnwick, Massadio Haidara, Mike Williamson, Vurnon Anita, Yoan Gouffran, Emmanuel Riviere, Papiss Cisse

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry (c), Cesar Azpilicueta; John Obi Mikel, Cesc Fabregas; Willian, Oscar, Eden Hazard; Diego Costa

Substitutes: Petr Cech, Filipe Luis, Kurt Zouma, Ramires, Andre Schurrle, Loic Remy, Didier Drogba

Referee: Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)