With the news that Steven Taylor is set to miss the rest of the season, and fellow centre-half Fabricio Coloccini added to the injury list, Stuart Rayner looks at how Newcastle can cope without some of their biggest names.

FOR a long time now, Newcastle United have been one injury from panic stations. On Saturday they got two.

Matches against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea looked like the point where we would find what the Magpies were really made of. It now appears that will come with consecutive games at Norwich City, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers.

While Newcastle have only gleaned one point from their last three games, they were able to take encouragement from their performances. In the next four, they will be judged on results just as injuries – and important ones at that – are threatening to take their toll on a flimsy squad.

Manager Alan Pardew admitted in an October radio phone-in that the Magpies were vulnerable at centre-half. Having ridden their luck all season, they have finally been exposed.

Steven Taylor broke his nose days later against Wigan Athletic but, thanks to a protective mask and his own determination, did not miss a Premier League game. Partner and captain Fabricio Coloccini suffered back spasms the day before the trip to Old Trafford, but with the help of injections produced another outstanding display.

As a result, the Magpies’ entire back five has gone unchanged for the entire league campaign. That run will end at Carrow Road on Saturday. Taylor may not play again this season after surgery on a ruptured Achilles yesterday, while Coloccini is set to miss out with a thigh strain.

Both faced Chelsea but there were significant defensive absentees, and it showed. Keeping the ball out of the net is a collective effort and while he may be a winger, Jonás Gutiérrez is a vital part of Newcastle’s defensive strategy. It was little surprise that with the Argentinian serving a one-match suspension, left-back Ryan Taylor had one of his most difficult afternoons this season, too often left to deal with Daniel Sturridge alone.

Outnumbered two to three, Newcastle badly lost the first-half midfield battle. Yohan Cabaye and Danny Guthrie are fine passers, as they demonstrated again, but the Magpies were crying out for the energy and tenacity of Cheick Tioté, particularly with Juan Mata regularly drifting behind Didier Drogba.