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Newcastle v Chelsea: Magpies Unchanged
Written by Newcastle Utd
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has named an unchanged side for Saturday's Premier League home fixture against Chelsea
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter
At St. James' Park
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has named an unchanged side for Saturday's Premier League home fixture against Chelsea (3pm kick-off).
The Magpies go into the fixture on the back of a midweek victory away at Aston Villa, and so the boss has kept faith with the same group of players who grabbed all three points at Villa Park.
It means home debuts for January signings Yoan Gouffran and Moussa Sissoko, who will both again be in attack-minded roles for the hosts in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Senegalese international Papiss Cisse will lead the line on his own, supported by the trio of Gouffran, Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez.
James Perch and Yohan Cabaye will anchor the Magpies' midfield, protecting a back-four of Mathieu Debuchy, Taylor, captain Fabricio Coloccini and Davide Santon, with goalkeeper Tim Krul behind them.
On the substitutes' bench there are places for fit-again French duo Sylvain Marveaux and Gabriel Obertan, who join another one of the January arrivals - Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa - Rob Elliot, Gael Bigirimana, Vurnon Anita and Shola Ameobi.
Chelsea have named former Newcastle striker Demba Ba - who swapped Tyneside for the captial less than a month ago - among their starting line-up.
Also returning are goalkeeper Petr Cech and captain John Terry, as the Blues look to bounce back from letting a two-goal lead slip in their draw at Reading.
Newcastle United (4-2-3-1): Tim Krul; Mathieu Debuchy, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Davide Santon; James Perch, Yohan Cabaye; Yoan Gouffran, Moussa Sissoko, Jonas Gutierrez; Papiss Cisse
Substitutes: Rob Elliot, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Gael Bigirimana, Vurnon Anita, Sylvain Marveaux, Gabriel Obertan, Shola Ameobi
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Petr Cech; Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry (c), Ashley Cole; Ramires, Frank Lampard; Oscar, Juan Mata, Ryan Bertrand; Demba Ba
Substitutes: Ross Turnbull, Paulo Ferreira, Cesar Azpilicueta, Nathan Ake, Yossi Benayoun, Marko Marin, Fernando Torres
Referee: Howard Webb (Yorkshire)