Newcastle United will look to take advantage of controversy-ridden Liverpool when the two sides meet in the English Premier League Saturday.
The Reds have been in the news for all the wrong reasons over the past week, following Luiz Suarez's bite on Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.
Suarez copped a ten-game ban for his actions, with Liverpool far from happy at the severity of the decision. Liverpool have until Friday afternoon, U.K. time, to appeal the ban if they choose to.
The Magpies will be aware of the furore surrounding Liverpool and Suarez, and Alan Pardew will be keen to see his team take advantage of the situation.
Newcastle are still not quite safe from relegation, with only six points separating them from third from bottom Wigan Athletic, who have a game in hand.
Along with Newcastle, two other teams - Sunderland and Stoke City -- are on 37 points, and considering the close nature of the relegation battle, the Magpies will know the importance of all three points against Liverpool at St James' Park.
With goalkeeper Tim Krul out for the season, Pardew has been given a boost with the return to fitness of skipper Fabricio Coloccini, while Papiss Cisse and Cheick Tiote are definitely fit to play against the Reds.
Coloccini might not make it for the game against Liverpool, but Pardew is happy to have the defensive rock back in training.
"Colo has missed seven weeks but has trained for two days and it bodes well that he looks so well," Pardew told reporters.
"It goes to show the conditioning of the player and the attitude of the player that he is in such good shape .I'm not sure he's in my thinking for Saturday to start but he is in my thinking between now and the end of the season, for sure.
"And Tiote has trained. He's trained for three days and he looks in good shape if we decide to use him."
Suarez of course is suspended, but Liverpool have no new injury worries, with Joe Allen and Martin Kelly ruled out, while Fabio Borini returned to full training this week.
The Reds were extremely impressive in the second half against Chelsea last Sunday, fighting back from a goal down twice to earn a point, with Suarez scoring a late equalizer, having also set up Daniel Sturridge for the first goal. The onus will now be on Sturridge to get the goals in the absence of Suarez.
The performance, however, was overshadowed by the bite on Ivanovic, and Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to see his side turn everybody's attentions back to events on the pitch, starting with Newcastle Saturday.
"It's the team's responsibility," Rodgers said. "I said to the players the other day, whatever happens with Luis, there's a plan for him to make sure he's a part of the group and doesn't feel isolated. Of course, he can't play but there's a plan.
"There's also a plan going forward for the team -- we have to keep progressing. That's about the team showing their solidarity on the field and making sure that one player doesn't feel that burden.
"It's really about the team's responsibility now to push on."
Expected lineups: Newcastle: Elliot; Debuchy, Taylor, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara; Tiote, Cabaye; Gouffran, Sissoko, Guttierez; Cisse.
Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Enrique; Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson; Downing, Sturridge, Coutinho.
Prediction: 2-1 to Newcastle
