Gary Croft has been called into the Town at the last minute as the Blues' injury crisis deepens. Sixto Peralta, Titus Bramble, Martijn Reuser and Mark Venus are all unlikley to be fit for this evening's game at Newcastle. New signing Marcus Bent is ineligible due to playing for Blackburn in the Worthington Cup earlier in the season.
Croft is flying up this morning to join the 20-man squad. Town are already without Marcus Stewart, Finidi George, Ulrich Le Pen and Jim Magilton and so it will be a somewhat patched up side which lines up at St James Park.
Mark Venus is suffering from thigh problem while Titus Bramble has a problematic calf. Sixto Peralta damaged a groin muscle at Middlesbrough while Martijn Reuser missed out at the Riverside due to his groin.
Newcastle have their own problems with Shay Given out after injuring his shoulder when saving Fabrizio Ravanelli's penalty at the weekend.
Bobby Robson has said he feels the Blues will avoid the drop despite the current parlous league position: "He has tried to get the team to play football the way he did and, on the evidence of the last two matches, they are playing better and he is doing what he did last year."
Robson saw Town at the weekend: "I went and watched them against Middlesbrough on Sunday and they fully deserved their point. And it was also a marvellous result in Europe."
He added that there will be no knee-jerk reaction from the club to the current situation: "The club will not panic. The board is steeped in solidarity and common sense, and they have hardly sacked a manager in their whole history. If there are fans having a go at George they are in a minority. You shouldn't even react to hate mail or give it the dignity of a reply. He has been there seven years and is working at the highest level. He had a wonderful year last year. He was a bright player, no doubt about that, and he is a good manager. He has tried to get the team to play football the way he did and, on the evidence of the last two matches, they are playing better and he is doing what he did last year."
The Town players spent yesterday at Newcastle races.