Steven Taylor is struggling to be fit for Newcastle's clash with Portsmouth tonight due to an ankle injury.

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• Newcastle v Portsmouth

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Alan Shearer initially adopted a three-man rearguard at Tottenham last Sunday with Taylor Habib Beye and Sebastien Bassong starting at the back, although Taylor's injury and the fact his side had to chase the game resulted in a reshuffle before the break.

Left-back Jose Enrique could return from a knee problem and with Ryan Taylor having played at right-back as well as on the right side of midfield, Beye and Frenchman Bassong could yet find themselves at the middle of a back four dealing with towering Pompey striker Peter Crouch.

However, that would not worry their manager unduly.

Shearer said: "Beye and Bassong have probably been the top performers for us in the three games that I have been here.

"I will be looking for more of the same from the two of them."

Newcastle's need could hardly be more pressing as they target victory in each of their remaining home games to give themselves a chance of avoiding the drop.

Shearer said: "We are in this position, it's a tough position, but I believe we have got enough fight and enough bottle and enough decent players to get us out of it."

Seven points clear of the second-from-bottom Magpies, Pompey already look almost home and hosed in the race to beat relegation but boss Paul Hart is still not convinced that 40 points - which they would achieve with a win at St James's Park - is sufficient.

He said: "I simply don't how many points we will need. Who does? All I'll say is that we'll keep on scrapping to get as many points as we can regardless of whether or not we stay in this division.

"Newcastle, supposedly have got to win their three remaining home games to give themselves a chance (of staying up) but we still need points, too, and we'll try to make it very difficult for them."

Hart is confident of another happy Pompey night - he has already won three and drawn four of his nine games in charge since succeeding sacked Tony Adams - and a return to winning ways after a gallant 2-0 defeat at Manchester United in midweek.

He said: "The players showed in that Old Trafford game, as much as any of the previous ones, that they have what it takes to be very hard to beat. We could have caved in and got the same kind of result as Spurs did there (beaten 5-2) on Saturday.

David Nugent has been passed fit for selection after limping out of the Manchester United game at half-time with a "dead leg" but there is still a doubt over defender Younes Kaboul who missed that match with a thigh injury while midfielder Niko Kranjcar (ankle) has again been ruled out.