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Blackburn v Newcastle: Coloccini And Taylor Return
Written by Newcastle Utd
Fabricio Coloccini and Ryan Taylor are back in the Newcastle United starting line-up as they travel to Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Captain Fabricio Coloccini and Ryan Taylor are back in the Newcastle United starting line-up as they travel to Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League on Wednesday night (8pm kick-off).
Coloccini missed Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Brighton with a groin injury, but has recovered and comes straight back in to the heart of the defence in place of James Perch, who drops down to the bench.
And Taylor takes the place of Yohan Cabaye, whose appeal against an FA charge of violent conduct was rejected on Wednesday afternoon, meaning an immediate three-game suspension.
The versatile scouser is expected to be a like-for-like replacement for Cabaye in the centre of midfield, but could also do a job wide on the right with Hatem Ben Arfa moving inside to a central role.
Leon Best and Shola Ameobi are again the two strikers named by manager Alan Pardew, and it remains to be seen whether the boss will stick with his recent formation of Ameobi as a lone striker, supported by Ben Arfa, Jonas Gutierrez and Best, or if it will become a more orthodox 4-4-2.
Youngster Mehdi Abeid is named among the substitutes, where the attacking replacement options come in the shape of Gabriel Obertan and Peter Lovenkrands.
Rovers hand a full debut to striker Anthony Modeste in place of David Goodwillie, and that is their only change from their 1-1 draw at Everton last time out. The Frenchman arrived on loan from Bordeaux in January and is given a chance from the start.
Blackburn Rovers (4-5-1): Paul Robinson (c); Jason Lowe, Scott Dann, Gael Givet, Martin Olsson; Junior Hoilett, Radosav Petrovic, Steven Nzonzi, David Dunn, Morten Gamst Pedersen; Anthony Modeste
Substitutes: Mark Bunn, Adam Henley, Grant Hanley, Simon Vukcevic, Mauro Formica, Ruben Rochina, Jordan Slew
Newcastle United (4-4-2): Tim Krul; Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; Hatem Ben Arfa, Ryan Taylor, Danny Guthrie, Jonas Gutierrez; Shola Ameobi, Leon Best
Substitutes: Rob Elliot, Shane Ferguson, James Perch, Mehdi Abeid, Dan Gosling, Gabriel Obertan, Peter Lovenkrands
