PREMIER LEAGUE

SATURDAY 29 November

MIDDLESBROUGH 0

NEWCASTLE 0

Newcastle will travel to Middlesbrough on Sunday with the positive news that interim manager Joe Kinnear has been given a contract extension that will see him stay at the Magpies until the end of the season.

Bad news for Kinnear is that Shola Ameobi and Damien Duff will miss the trip through ankle and groin injuries respectively. There is however a shock return to the side for Mark Viduka who has recovered from his Achilles injury and will be on the bench. Defender Steven Taylor will also join Viduka on the bench following his abdominal muscle strain.

Alan Smith (foot) and Ignacio Gonzalez (Achilles) remain sidelined through injury.

Boro meanwhile have Mido back as a substitute after the striker recovered from the groin injury which kept him out for the last three matches, with Afonso Alves receiving another opportunity in the starting XI.

Robert Huth (ankle) and Chris Riggott (hamstring) are back in training, but are not quite match-fit.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull, Hoyte, Wheater, Pogatetz, Taylor, Aliadiere, Arca, Digard, Downing, Sanli, Alves

Subs: Jones, Mido, Emnes, Johnson, Hines, Grounds, Walker

NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, Jose Enrique, Gutierrez, Guthrie, Butt, N'Zogbia, Martins, Owen

Subs: Harper, Cacapa, Geremi, Taylor, Edgar, Viduka, Carroll