Big Sam eyes three in a row

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is targeting three wins on the spin for Newcastle against Derby after victories against Fulham and Birmingham, and Big Sam has admitted three points will be a festive treat for Newcastle and himself.

"We've got to make sure we wait and see how the game pans out and try and use whatever we need to win the game," Allardyce told Sky Sports News.

"Whether this can be done in the first 15 minutes or the last 15 we will have to wait and see.

"Michael is close to coming back into training and Damien Duff is still on a good recovery route and Steven Carr will hopefully be very shortly."