With Demba Ba soon to depart for the African Nations Cup, the Toon manager knows he needs men to replace him, just as they had to earlier in the year after Andy Carroll's £35million January sale to Liverpool.
Mike Williamson: "He's got a lot of ability. It's been a frustrating time for him personally, but he's worked really hard to get back and hopefully that can pay off now.
"You need the whole team to chip in - you can't just rely on one player, but we know we have got goals in the squad."
Alan Pardew: "They are going to have to fill in for Ba. It's a bit like last year when we lost Andy Carroll.
"This year, we are losing Demba Ba, but we have got the added advantage of having Hatem around which we didn't have last year, so we are slightly better off than we were last year - and remember, it's not for half a season, it's for just six weeks or whatever it is."