The pair were among nine men who missed or were rested for the 1-1 Europa League play-off draw at Atromitos last night, the Argentinian with a thigh problem and the Senegal international with a sore shin.
Alan Pardew: "Colo is still 'touch and go', and he is a concern.
"He wants to play, but they all do, and we will decide on Saturday."
Pardew is hoping both will be fit after training in London this evening, although Cheick Tiote (calf) and Shola Ameobi (hamstring) remain doubts.
Newcastle (from): Krul, Elliot, Harper, Santon, R. Taylor, Tavernier, Coloccini, Perch, Williamson, S. Taylor, Simpson, Cabaye, Gutierrez, Obertan, Marveaux, Gosling, Anita, Bigirimana, Amalfitano, Cisse, Ba, Campbell.
Atromitos 1 Toon 1
ATROMITOS: Itlande; Skondras, Fytanidis, Lazaridis, Giannoulis (Karagounis, 86); Iglesias; Beljic (Chumbinho, 61), Dimoutsos, Brito, Epstein; Kuqi (Karamanos, 60). Subs not used: Radman, Taylaridis, Garcia, Nastos.
NEWCASTLE UNITED: Harper; Tavernier, Williamson, Perch, R Taylor; Bigirimana, Anita; Obertan, Gosling (Amalfitano, 64), Marveaux (Gutierrez, 71); Cisse (Campbell, 77). Subs not used: Krul, Santon, Cabaye, S Taylor.
Attendance: 5,002
I know the media are having a dig at the quality (or lack of it) in this Europa League fixture ... but let's give credit to the kids who were thrown in at the deep end.
I cannot understand Alan Pardew at times ... SERIOUSLY!
He ALWAYS has one priority - the Premiership - never cup competitions or this trip into Europe's unknown.
Yet if we are going to win a trophy - which is long overdue - it WON'T be the Premiership. Having taken a full season to qualify for Europe and call it a "success" (as Pardew did), why not go out and win the bugger?
So he went into this fixture making nine changes to his first team, and put the prospect of meeting Europe's bigger fish, on the line.
As it happens, it worked. But throwing together a team that obviously hadn't played together before, was a massive risk.
The 50 or so travelling fans at the humble Peristeri Stadium home of Greek side Atromitos were singing long after the final whistle, having seen a much-changed side more than hold their own on the club’s return to the continent.
In truth, however, they hadn’t had much to shout about on the pitch during the match.
The game kicked off in 36-degree Athens heat, and the conditions told in the early stages, as Atromitos, seemingly targeting right-back James Tavernier, pressed forward time and again.
Njazi Kuqi, brother of former United striker Shefki, was off-target with an early chance.
At the other end, Papiss Demba Cisse, one of only two survivors from the starting XI against Tottenham Hotspur, the other being James Perch, volleyed wide after Vurnon Anita, making his full debut, found him with a fine lofted pass forward.
Dan Gosling was finding pockets of space when Newcastle did press forward, but he couldn’t profit when Charles Itandje fumbled a ball from Tavernier.
Atromitos’s breakthrough came in the 24th minute when Nikola Beljic found Denis Epstein on the right. He got in behind Tavernier and placed a low shot across Steve Harper and into the far corner of the net.
United had been second-best up to then, but the goal galvanised them, and Pardew’s side started to see more of the ball with Atromitos content to sit deeper.
Taylor tested Itandje with one free-kick in the 35th-minute, the former Liverpool goalkeeper saved with his legs, but the position was better for his second in first-half injury time.
Gosling was collared, literally, by Nikolaos Lazaridis 25 yards from goal, and Taylor – who had been abused by fans all the length of the pitch – stepped up and precisely placed the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
Pardew sent out the same XI for the second-half, and Gabriel Obertan – who had struggled to impose himself on the game before the break – saw a shot deflected over Itandje’s bar.
After a tight opening 15 minutes, Pardew brought on Romain Amalfitano for Gosling.
Obertan found Cisse at the far post in the 67th minute with a deep cross, but a prone Itandje somehow clawed the ball away from his feet.
Pardew’s next move to was throw on Jonas Gutierrez for Sylvain Marveaux, and 17-year-old Adam Campbell replaced Cisse with 13 minutes left to become the youngest player to represent the club in Europe.
Campbell was lively going forward in the final stages of the game, but he couldn’t conjure up a goal.
Still, United are now odds-on for a place in the Europa League’s group stage.
NEWCASTLE UNITED REVIEW 2011/12
Newcastle United fans have seen their team come a long way since earning promotion back to the Premier League in 2010 and nobody could have predicted the exciting season that lay ahead at the start of the 2011/12 campaign.
This was a season of rejuvenation as changes were made both on and off the pitch with fresh talent drafted in, in the form of Cissé, Cabaye, Ba and Obertan to name a few, and manager Alan Pardew delivering a brand of attacking football that earned him both the Barclays and LMA Manager of the Season awards.
With the new signings settling in well, and with a good core of players already at the club, Newcastle United undertook an incredible journey that saw them return to the upper echelons of the Premier League and secure a place in Europe the following season, only narrowly missing out on a Champions League place.
There was plenty to cheer this season as stalwarts of the team Fabricio Coloccini, Cheick Tiote and Jonas Gutierrez all solidified their reputations at the heart of the club and Tim Krul and Hatem Ben Arfa both delivered impressive displays.
Relive this exhilarating season in full with highlights of every game and every goal from the campaign including victories over Sunderland, Liverpool, Chelsea and a dominating demolition of 2010/11 champions Manchester United.
NEWCASTLE UNITED FC 2012/13
PREMIERSHIP
NEWCASTLE 2 SPURS 1 (Ba, Ben Arfa pen)
Krul; Simpson, S Taylor, Perch, Santon; Ben Arfa, Cabaye (Anita, 71), Tiote, Gutierrez; Cisse, Ba (Obertan, 85). Subs not used: Harper; R Taylor, Williamson, Gosling, Amalfitano
EUROPA LEAGUE
ATROMITOS 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (R Taylor)
Harper; Tavernier, Williamson, Perch, R Taylor; Bigirimana, Anita; Obertan, Gosling (Amalfitano, 64), Marveaux (Gutierrez, 71); Cisse (Campbell, 77). Subs not used: Krul, Santon, Cabaye, S Taylor.
PRE-SEASON
CARDIFF CITY 4 NEWCASTLE 1 (Shola Ameobi pen)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini (Williamson 46), Steven Taylor (Gosling 63), Santon, Obertan (Campbell 83), Tiote (Amalfitano 71) , Gutiérrez, Marveaux (Vuckic 46), R Taylor (Perch 28), Shola Ameobi.
HARTLEPOOL 1 NEWCASTLE 5 (Shola Ameobi, Marveaux 2, Obertan, Vuckic)
Harper (Alnwick 82), Simpson (Good 72), Tavernier, Williamson, S.Taylor (Vuckic 46), Perch (R.Taylor 72), Gosling, Amalfitano (Santon 80), Marveaux (Obertan 78), Sh.Ameobi (Ben Arfa 46), Bigirimana (Abeid 59).
DEN HAAG 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul; S Taylor (Gosling 65), R Taylor (Perch 71), Coloccini, Santon (Simpson 80); Obertan (Bigirimana 71), Tiote (Ameobi 71), Vuckic (Williamson 65), Gutierrez; Ba (Amalfitano 82), Cisse
BRAGA 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Ba, R Taylor)
Harper; Simpson, Tavernier, Coloccini, R.Taylor; Sammy Ameobi (Obertan 88), Tiote (Cabaye 70), Gutierrez, Marveaux; Cisse, Ba (Vuckic 85).
OLYMPIACOS 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (S Taylor)
Krul, Perch, Williamson, S.Taylor (Dummett 46), Santon, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 72), Bigirimana, Gosling (Abeid 36), Amalfitano, Vuckic, Shola Ameobi (Cisse 72).
FENERBAHCE 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Abeid)
Elliot, Simpson (Santon 68), Tavernier, Coloccini, R Taylor, Tiote (Bigirimana 59), Gosling (Abeid 73), Obertan (Shola Ameobi 75), Marveuax (Gutierrez 59), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi 46), Ba (Cisse 68).
MONACO 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Ba)
Harper, Santon (Ryan Taylor 57), Simpson, Williamson (Perch 46), Gutierrez, Amalfitano (Obertan 62), Abeid (Tavernier 46), Bigirimana (Tiote 62), Sammy Ameobi (Vuckic 46), Shola Ameobi (Gosling 62), Ba (Marveaux 78)
CHEMNITZER 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot; Tavernier (Simpson, 70), Williamson, Perch, R Taylor (Santon, 70); Obertan (Gutierrez, 77), Abeid (Bigirimana, 70), Gosling, Amalfitano; Vuckic (Shola Ameobi, 70), Sammy Ameobi (Ba, 77). Sub not used: Harper.