Cheick Tiote confident Newcastle United can cope without Andy Carroll

Cheick Tiote has praised his Newcastle United team-mates and believes the mood and quality in the squad is still high despite the departure of Andy Carroll to Liverpool on transfter deadline day.

Alan Pardew’s side were further weakened in midweek as they lost Carroll’s replacement Shola Ameobi to a fractured cheekbone in the defeat to Fulham but Tiote thinks the Magpies will have enough strength to survive the season in the Premier League.

"We have a good squad here at Newcastle and the team spirit is very good too," Tiote told The Independent.

"We've been without several players recently, especially through injury, but football is a squad game and the players who come in are very capable. You only have to look at the three goals Leon Best scored against West Ham to see that."

The Ivorian is expected to return today after an absence of three games after being sent-off in Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat to Stevenage in the third round of the FA Cup.

Consequently Tiote missed the games against Sunderland, Tottenham and Fulham and he revealed missing the Tyne-Wear derby was very disappointing.

He said: "I felt my form was pretty good so to miss out on three important games for the club, when you are fit to play, was terrible.

"Missing the derby at Sunderland was probably the worst of it."

Source: Goal.com