Tiote fit to face City

Alan Pardew says Chieck Tiote will play against Manchester City despite picking up a nasty head injury in the win at Chelsea.

Newcastle pulled off a fantastic 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge courtesy of two fine goals from Papiss Cisse but the one sour point was Tiote having to leave the field after taking a nasty bang to the head. Tiote emerged from the dressing room after having stitches put in the wound and watched the Magpies see out the win and Pardew says he should be fit for a huge game against Manchester City. "A nine-inch gash, 400 stitches, but it's just a scratch to him," Pardew said after the match. "He'll have a little patch on him on Sunday and he'll play." The victory puts Newcastle back in the hunt for the top four and Pardew says they will be going all out over the final two games. "There aren't many times in a professional career that you get an opportunity to break into the top four in this country," he added. "We've been in and around it all year, touching third or fourth sometimes. "There is pressure on us to finish in the top four. We're putting it on ourselves."