spotty at best, especially in yielding a 37-point third quarter to the Jazz.Sometimes we get into an offen

Steve McClaren is facing a defensive injury crisis as Newcastle prepare to host West Brom on Saturday. Chancel Mbemba will be sent for a second scan in Belgium next week and could be out for more than a month after picking up an ankle injury in Wednesdays 3-0 defeat to Everton.Paul Dummett (hamstring) is also out after being injured in the same game, while Jamaal Lascelles is suspended after being sent off late on. Newcastle start Saturdays game in the relegation zone, eight points behind Saturdays opponents.Team news Steve McClaren has problems in defence Newcastle boss McClaren has drafted three under-21 players - Callum Williams, Liam Gibson and Dan Barlaser - into his squad and says one of the youngsters may have to start at left-back to cover his injury problems.Steven Taylor will also start in defence, despite only playing two games in 13 months.Midfielder Jack Colback - a candidate to fill in at left-back, is also out with a hamstring problem, while Deadline Day signing Seydou Doumbia will be in the squad but is not in contention to start. Midfielder Cheick Tiote is available after his proposed move to Shanghai Shenhua fell through.West Brom have also been dealt a blow ahead of the game with the loss of Jonny Evans to injury.Evans limped off against Swansea on Tuesday night with a hamstring problem and the defender will be out for at least a couple of weeks.The Northern Ireland international joins compatriot Chris Brunt (calf), James Morrison (hamstring) and Callum McManaman (ankle) on the sidelines.Saido Berahino will be in the squad against the club who had a bid for him rejected before the transfer deadline, although boss Tony Pulis says the striker is unlikely to start as he continues to build up his fitness.Opta stats Tony Pulis says Saido Berahino has been a big miss for West Brom West Brom have won none of their last six Premier League away trips (W0 D3 L3).Victor Anichebe has netted five Premier League goals against Newcastle, more than against any other team in the competition.West Bromwich Albion have scored 39% of their goals from headers this season, a Premier League-high.The average age of West Broms starting XI in the Premier League this season has been 29 years, 247 days old; the oldest average of all PL teams in 2015-16.The Baggies have scored 42 goals in 42 Premier League matches under Tony Pulis.Newcastle have gone nine Premier League games without a clean sheet (9), only North East rivals Sunderland are on a longer wait for a shutout than them in the top-flight (10 games).Mersons predictionThis has the makings of a good game. West Brom under Pulis rarely lose to sides at the bottom and they play well away from home. Saying that, Ive got to go for Newcastle to get the win. Theyre at home, theyve got all their new signings and they need to bounce back from their defeat at Everton. Its a must-win game for Newcastle, theyll be thinking they havent got too many of these sort of games remaining.PAUL PREDICTS: 2-1 Steve McClaren says Newcastles performance in their 3-0 loss to Everton was unacceptable BettingNewcastle are even-money with Sky Bet ahead of the visit of 11/4 shots West Brom with the draw trading at 12/5. Despite slipping to another defeat in midweek the Magpies remain odds-on shots to avoid the drop with West Brom unlikely 15/2 shots to go down. This fixture finished all square last season and another 1-1 draw is 9/2. Prior to that the Toon had won the two previous meetings at St James Park 2-1 and can be backed at 11/4 to win by exactly one goal. Georginio Wijnaldum is deemed a 2/1 shot to score anytime for the hosts with Newcastle transfer target Saido Berahino is 8/1 to net the opener and 5/2 to score anytime. Check out tips from our Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier here. Saucony Running Shoes Ireland Sale . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. Discount Saucony Shoes Ireland .C. Lions has come to an end. Banks told TSN on Jan 2 that he had no interest in playing out the option year of his contract with the Lions in 2014, and he again made that clear in a conversation with Lions GM Wally Buono last week. http://www.clearancesauconyireland.com/ . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. Wholesale Shoes Ireland . Cuban testified Thursday that he was upset when the companys CEO told him news that would reduce the value of his shares, for which hed paid $7.5 million. But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days. Cheap Saucony Shoes Ireland . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. PORTLAND, Ore. -- Most pundits put the Los Angeles Clippers on a short list of contenders to make it to the NBAs Western Conference finals this season.Thats just fine with Doc Rivers, the president of basketball operations and head coach of the Clippers.Its not a burden, said Rivers, who begins his fourth season at the Clipper helm against the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday night at the Moda Center. Why should people expecting you to win ever be a burden Ive never figured that one out.You should be excited and happy any time youre in the NBA and youre on a team that people think is good. Thats a pleasure.The Clippers are good.The presence of All-Stars such as Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan plus veterans J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers, the coachs son guarantee that.Now the team has added depth with free-agent signings of forwards Marreese Speights and Brandon Bass and guards Alan Anderson and Raymond Felton to minimum deals.Its ironic that the Clippers open the 2016-17 campaign against the team that knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs a year ago. Injuries to Paul and Griffin during the series play a large role in that, but it adds a bit of intrigue to the Clippers debut game this season.Were excited, said Austin Rivers, who signed a three-year, $35-million contract in the offseason. Its going to be a fun environment considering thats the team that knocked us out last year. We have our whole team back. So do they. Its going to be a fun game.The Trail Blazers got a two-day jump on the season over the Clippers, coming from behind to defeat the Utah Jazz 113-104 Tuesday night in their home opener.dddddddddddd Damian Lillard launched an unofficial MVP campaign by scoring 39 points, 16 in the decisive fourth quarter.The best way to show that I mean that is by going out and playing like it, the Blazers two-time All-Star point guard said. Tonight was a good start.Portland had an outstanding offensive game, making 39 of 75 shots from the field (.520), 13 of 19 shots from the 3-point line (.684) and all 22 attempts from the foul line. The Blazers made their first seven 3-point tries and were 7 for 8 in the first half.But Portlands defense -- a focus coming into this season -- was spotty at best, especially in yielding a 37-point third quarter to the Jazz.Sometimes we get into an offensive mode, because we have so many guys who can score, reserve forward Ed Davis said. We can outscore 85 percent of the teams in the league. To be able to win night in and night out, though, you have to get stops. Thats what we did in the fourth. Weve got to have more quarters like the fourth and less like the third.You give up 37 in a quarter, no way you can win a game. Giving up 30 in a quarter is a lot.The Blazers are special because of their camaraderie, Utah coach Quin Snyder said.They fit together really well, Snyder said. Everybody embraces who they are. Thats what makes them such a good team. They know their strengths. They complement each other. Theyre clearly an unselfish group, and that makes them hard to defend. ' ' '