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West Ham v Newcastle: Four Changes
Written by Newcastle Utd
Hatem Ben Arfa and Fabricio Coloccini start for Newcastle away at West Ham on Saturday
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Managing Editor
At Upton Park
Hatem Ben Arfa and Fabricio Coloccini return to the Newcastle United starting line-up for Saturday's Barclays Premier League fixture away at West Ham United (3pm kick-off).
The pair are two of four changes to the Magpies' starting line-up from last weekend's 6-0 home defeat at the hands of Liverpool, with forward Yoan Gouffran and full-back Danny Simpson also coming in.
James Perch drops down to the bench, while Mathieu Debuchy serves a one-game ban, and injured duo Massadio Haidara and Moussa Sissoko also miss out.
United will start in a 4-3-3 formation with goalkeeper Rob Elliot behind a back four of Simpson, club captain Coloccini, Steven Taylor and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, with the latter deployed at left-back.
There will be a three-man midfield of Yohan Cabaye, Cheick Tiote and Jonas Gutierrez, with Ben Arfa and Gouffran either side of 13-goal hit man Papiss Cisse up top.
On the substitutes' bench there are attacking options in the shape of teenage forward Adam Campbell and long-serving striker Shola Ameobi, alongside Steve Harper, Mike Williamson, Perch, Dan Gosling and Vurnon Anita.
West Ham, managed by ex-Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce, name an unchanged line-up for the fourth successive game. They are captained by former Magpie Kevin Nolan and have United Academy product Andy Carroll leading the line up top.
West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Jussi Jaaskelainen; Guy Demel, Winston Reid, James Collins, Joey O'Brien; Gary O'Neil, Mohamed Diame; Ricardo Vaz Te, Kevin Nolan (c), Matt Jarvis; Andy Carroll
Substitutes: Stephen Henderson, Emanuel Pogatez, Matt Taylor, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Joe Cole, Carlton Cole
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Rob Elliot; Danny Simpson, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini (c), Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa; Yohan Cabaye, Cheick Tiote, Jonas Gutierrez; Hatem Ben Arfa, Papiss Cisse, Yoan Gouffran
Substitutes: Steve Harper, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Dan Gosling, Vurnon Anita, Adam Campbell, Shola Ameobi