Ba has been the sensation of the Premier League this season, and while Andy Carroll has struggled to get three goals, Ba has chipped in with 14 goals this campaign.
It obviously leaves Alan Pardew with a headache when he heads off to the tournament that runs from January 21 to February 12, yet the Magpies manager insists he will not use the January transfer window to find a replacement.
Pardew had hopes he could hold on to Ba until January 15, when his side play QPR in the league, but that is looking doubtful.
Ba is one of several impressive attacking options at Senegal coach Amara Traore's disposal, with Lille's Moussa Sow, the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 25 goals, Freiburg's Papiss Demba Cisse and FC Copenhagen's Dame N'Doye all highly rated.
QPR's Armand Traore, Wigan's Mohamed Diame and Guirane N'Daw of Birmingham are the other English-based players in the 23-man squad for the tournament in Guinea and Gabon.
Senegal face Guinea, Zambia and Libya in Group A.
Senegal squad: Khadim Ndiaye (Linguere), Bouna Coundoul (Unattached), Pape Latyr Ndiaye (Ouakam); Kader Mangane (Rennes), Souleymane Diawara (Marseille), Lamine Sane (Bordeaux), Jacques Faty (Sivasspor), Moustapha Bayal Sall (St Etienne), Pape Malickou Diakhate (Granada), Cheikh Mbengue (Toulouse), Armand Traore (QPR), Omar Daf (Brest); Remi Gomis (Valenciennes), Mohamed Diame (Wigan), Guirane N'Daw (Birmingham), Ndiaye Deme Ndiaye (Arles); Issiar Dia (Fenerbahce), Moussa Sow (Lille), Papiss Demba Cisse (Freiburg), Souleymane Camara (Montpellier), Mamadou Niang (Al Sadd), Demba Ba (Newcastle), Dame N'Doye (FC Copenhagen).