NUFC Are Finally On Top Of The Table

It's not all doom and gloom at Newcastle United right now. They may be stuck down in 15th in the Premier League and fighting for their top-flight future, but they are at the very summit of another table - unfortunately it just so happens to be the injury table. This is a sight that Newcastle fans have seen all too often in recent years, and their injury room currently contains 10 players - two more than second-placed Queens Park Rangers. Papiss Cisse (knee), Adam Armstrong (thigh), Siem de Jong (thigh) and Paul Dummett (hamstring) have all joined the list this week, rocketing the Magpies right to the top.

Rob Elliot (thigh), Rolando Aarons (hamstring), Jak Alnwick (wrist), Massadio Haidara (knee), Cheick Tiote (knee) and Steven Taylor (calf) were already receiving treatment before the beginning of this week, while four more of their teammates have now joined them. Swansea City are third in the injury table with seven, while Manchester United, Southampton and Sunderland all have six. Ironically, Newcastle's opponents this weekend, West Bromwich Albion, are bottom of the injury league table with just midfielder James Morrison and goalkeeper Ben Foster receiving treatment.

Interestingly, three of those "injured" Newcastle players - Aarons, Dummett and Cisse - have a chance of being on the bench for the Magpies against West Brom on Saturday. Aarons even played 45 minutes for the club's Under-21 side on Tuesday night, but the trio are still declared as receiving treatment for injuries. Add the suspended Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat to the 10 injured players and John Carver could in theory have at least 12 of his squad unavailable for selection for the crunch match with West Brom.

Williamson and Janmaat are both serving bans having been sent off during the 3-0 loss at Leicester City last weekend - and that means the Magpies could have just one senior defender in captain Fabricio Coloccini fit for Saturday. Dummett has an outside chance of playing, but a makeshift defence will be called upon to feature in a match that could go a long way to determining Newcastle United's Premier League destiny. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.