Newcastle    v    Bolton

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Saturday, 26 February 2011
Barclays Premier League

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Time
Newcastle	v	Bolton	15:00

NEWCASTLE

BOLTON

Possession

• Newcastle 50%
• Bolton 50%

Attempts on target

• Newcastle 0
• Bolton 0

Attempts off target

• Newcastle 0
• Bolton 0

Corners

• Newcastle 0
• Bolton 0

Fouls

• Newcastle 0
• Bolton 0

Barclays Premier League
Venue: St James' Park Date: Saturday, 26 February Kick-off: 1500 GMT
Coverage: Watch highlights on Match of the Day; full match commentary on BBC Radio Manchester 95.1FM and DAB; listen on BBC Radio 5 live and local radio; text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles

TEAM NEWS

Newcastle defenders Steven Taylor and Ryan Taylor both return to the squad after lengthy lay-offs, but Peter Lovenkrands has a slight thigh injury.

Shola Ameobi has returned to light training but remains sidelined.
In-form Bolton striker Daniel Sturridge is expected to start after missing the last two games because he was cup-tied.
Jussi Jaaskelainen will return in goal ahead of Adam Bogdan, while defender Gretar Steinsson hopes to be available after a knee injury.

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Newcastle
Doubtful: Lovenkrands (thigh)
Injured/unavailable: Ameobi (fractured cheekbone), Ben Arfa (broken leg), Gosling & Ireland (both knee), Guthrie (hamstring), Smith (ankle)
Bolton
Doubtful: Steinsson (knee)
Injured: S Davis, Knight & J O'Brien (all knee), Gardner (thigh), Ricketts (Achilles), Samuel (calf/fitness)

MATCH PREVIEW

This is a pivotal match for Newcastle, according to manager Alan Pardew: only maximum points against Bolton will keep the Magpies' season alive.

If we win this we can attack the top 10 - if we don't win this game then we've lost a big opportunity, and the opportunity might be Europe Newcastle boss Alan Pardew

United go into the match ninth in the table, delicately poised between the European spots and mid-table. With just 11 games to go and their Premier League status all but assured, Pardew is desperate to prevent an otherwise successful return to the top flight from fizzling out.
Motivating his players will not be a problem. The Magpies' heaviest defeat of the season came at the hands of Saturday's opponents, when Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies each scored twice in a 5-1 romp at the Reebok, a result that proved the beginning of the end for previous boss Chris Hughton.
European football is also the objective for Bolton, a reflection of the huge strides made under Owen Coyle during his 13-month tenure.
Wanderers booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with two tough victories over Wigan and Fulham in the space of a week, but are likely to view the league as their most likely route to Europa League qualification. A victory here would equal their points total for the whole of last season, and with Liverpool not in action until Sunday, the Trotters could finish the day in sixth.