Kevin Keegan: "Losing Demba Ba will be a blow but I think they would have expected that.
"I think the biggest problem Newcastle have at the moment is the fact that Yohan Cabaye is injured. He is the most influential player there.
"He is the one that I would pick out above Papiss Cisse, above Demba Ba and he is definitely their key player and he'll be back in February.
"When he comes back I don't think Newcastle will have any problems.
"Once Cabaye comes back then you will see the old Newcastle and, especially at St James' Park, they will get the points they need to stay up.
"It will be looked on as a disappointing season for Newcastle but it came on the back of an outstanding season the year before and it was always going to be hard to live up to the levels that they achieved.
"So it will be a disappointment because I think Newcastle are a side, with everybody fit, who can finish in the top half and challenge for the top six.
"It is going to be a tough ask for Cisse to step up because Ba's record was incredible.
"Cisse scored a lot of goals when he first came but they've dried up. I don't think Cisse is the same kind of player as Demba Ba.
"Demba Ba can play centre-forward, he can score goals, he's very commanding in the air but he can also hold up the play and his performance against Arsenal last week was as good a performance from a centre-forward as you're ever likely to see.
"Can Cisse do that? I haven't seen it in him yet but he will now get the chance. Maybe he can. Maybe he has just been waiting for the opportunity.
"Will they have any problems at Brighton? Yes. They had problems there last year. They got knocked out. It's a tough trip, it's a long trip for the fans to make on the back of ten defeats in 12.
"Brighton with home advantage will fancy an upset and for Newcastle it is a game Alan Pardew will dread so it is a big test for them. I would say there is a major chance of an upset there."