Newcastle have confirmed that Shola Ameobi faces a couple of weeks on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.
The striker scored eight goals in nine starts earlier in the season before undergoing surgery on his foot in September. However, his campaign was hampered again when he missed last weekend's 1-1 draw at Swansea after sustaining a hamstring problem in training.GiveMeFootball TVBeckham: I will not celebrate if I score against United >>
Boss Chris Hughton said: "The injury is a blow for Shola and he'll be missing for a couple of weeks. He's a player who we've seen when he plays in this division he's capable of scoring goals."
He added: "He's a wonderful striker of the ball with both feet and has a lot of ability. Unfortunately for us he hasn't been on the football pitch as much as we would have liked."
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