NEWCASTLE are likely to be without both of their firstchoice central defenders when they entertain Chelsea on Sunday after the Football Association last night charged Mike Williamson with violent conduct.
With Fabricio Coloccini already facing a three-match ban following his dismissal in Saturday’s 5-1 defeat at Bolton, the Magpies now face losing Williamson for an identical period after the FA reviewed footage of the defender’s clash with Trotters striker Johan Elmander.
Williamson appeared to strike Elmander with his head midway through the first half of Saturday’s game, but referee Howard Webb missed the incident and failed to penalise the Newcastle centre-half.
FA officials revisited the incident yesterday and, for the second time in a month, one of United’s leading figures faces a retrospective three-match ban.
Joey Barton is already sidelined after video evidence led to him being suspended for punching Blackburn midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen.
Williamson is expected to appeal – he has until 6pm today to make formal contact with the FA – and under the FA’s new fast-track disciplinary procedure, any appeal must be heard before Thursday night.
If, however, he is found guilty, he will automatically miss this weekend’s game with Chelsea as well as forthcoming matches against West Brom and Liverpool.
That would force Newcastle boss Chris Hughton to field an untried centre-half partnership against the current Premier League leaders, with Sol Campbell and Steven Taylor both poised to make their first league start of the season in four days time.
Campbell, who started the League Cup win over Chelsea in September, has only just returned from a niggling thigh injury, although he was introduced as a late substitute at the weekend after Coloccini was dismissed.
Taylor, who is still on the transfer list after refusing to sign a new contract, has not made a senior appearance for almost 11 months. He suffered an ankle injury last January, broke his jaw in an alleged training-ground incident with Andy Carroll shortly after, and dislocated his shoulder during July’s pre-season friendly at Carlisle United.
With Ryan Taylor ruled out for around three months, Newcastle’s defensive resources are stretched to breaking point, and Saturday’s defeat also underlined the lack of cover in other areas of the field, with the Magpies struggling to cope in the absence of Barton and Cheik Tiote.
Hughton has already hinted he will be unable to make significant additions to his squad when the transfer window opens in January, so he will rebuff any attempt to take any of his players on loan.
Both Leon Best and Nile Ranger have attracted interest from a number of Championship sides, but Hughton insists the pair will be remaining on Tyneside.
“With the January transfer window approaching, things might change,” he said. “But at the moment I don’t envisage sending anyone out on loan because we need those players in the squad to stay here. We don’t have the numbers to be letting anyone leave unless we are going to bring somebody in.
“Leon has already said he wants to stay with us and fight for his place rather than go out on loan. I can see why people might think Nile would be better going out on loan.
“Andy Carroll benefited from playing first-team football in the Championship last season, but we very much think his development will be better served here.’’
