Williamson charged with violent conduct

NEWCASTLE are likely to be without both of their first-choice central defenders when they entertain Chelsea on Sunday after the Football Association charged Mike Williamson with violent conduct. With Fabricio Coloccini already facing a three-match ban following his dismissal in Saturday's 5-1 defeat at Bolton, the Magpies now face losing Williamson for an identical period after the FA reviewed footage of the defender's clash with Trotters striker Johan Elmander. Williamson appeared to strike Elmander with his head midway through the first half of Saturday's game, but referee Howard Webb missed the incident and failed to penalise the Newcastle centre-half. FA officials revisited the incident this afternoon and, for the second time in a month, one of United's leading figures faces a retrospective three-match ban. Joey Barton is already sidelined after video evidence led to him being suspended for punching Blackburn midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen. Williamson is expected to appeal he has until 6pm tomorrow to make formal contact with the FA - and under the FA's new fast-track disciplinary procedure, any appeal must be heard before Thursday night. If, however, he is found guilty, he will automatically miss this weekend's game with Chelsea as well as forthcoming matches against West Brom and Liverpool. That would force Newcastle boss Chris Hughton to field an untried centre-half partnership against the current Premier League leaders, with Sol Campbell and Steven Taylor both poised to make their first league start of the season.

Source: Northern_Echo