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Newcastle have suffered a defensive injury crisis ahead of a critical month for manager Alan Pardew.

Central defensive duo Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor are both expected to be out for up to four weeks after suffering injuries during the current international break.

Coloccini has suffered a muscle tear and Taylor is believed to be nursing a knee injury.

Meanwhile, midfielder Mehdi Abeid has broken his toe during training with Algeria.

The Magpies ' doctors will assess his fitness when he returns to Tyneside on Monday, but he looks certain to miss QPR’s visit to St James’ Park at the weekend.

The losses of Coloccini and Taylor is a bad blow for Pardew, who faces three of the top six, a derby against Sunderland and a Capital One Cup quarter-final over the next month.

The defensive duo have been at the heart of Newcastle’s recent improvement.

The Magpies have moved up to eighth after four consecutive wins and also set up a last eight Cup showdown at Tottenham by beating champions and League Cup holders Manchester City at the Etihad.