Digard The Major Option For Survival?

Now Gareth Southgate must decide whether or not to pitch in the Frenchman from the start at Newcastle, and leave him in there for all three remaining games.

Digard has been missed while he has been away. He was just starting to make a major impact within the team at the time of his double injury setback against Wigan in February.

Southgate does have the option to stick with the flair of Tuncay and the grit of Matthew Bates in the middle of the park at Newcastle, or he could go for the more solid looking combination of Digard and Bates.

Even so, the manager must find a place for Tuncay elsewhere in the team because the Turk is one of the few players who could be backed to put away any clear-cut scoring chances which come his way.

Gary O'Neil is also a contender for a place in the central zone, though he can also drop in effectively on the right.