DAVID Lee looks set to be handed a key role when Wanderers bid to turn the tables on Premiership leaders Newcastle at St James's Park tomorrow.

The flying winger is lined up for his first start after a 13-match injury lay-off as Colin Todd prepares to fight fire with fire in the David v Goliath encounter.

The Burnden boss remained cagey about his tactics when he named a 17-strong squad but he is expected to take a positive approach to the Tyneside tussle using Lee as a threat on the right flank. There is no comfort at all in the statistics for Wanderers, who have the worst away record in the country - played 11, won 0, drawn 1, lost 10 compared with Newcastle's home figures of played 11, won 11, drawn 0, lost 0 - but Todd insisted today: "There's no fear factor as far as we are concerned.

"Newcastle are a good side and they move the ball about very well. But we can move the ball about too and, provided we are disciplined in the way we play, Richard Sneekes and Scott Sellars can be a match for them in midfield."

Wanderers' defensive hands are tied by the continuing absence of suspended centre-back pair Chris Fairclough and Gerry Taggart so changes from Saturday's 1-0 home victory over Wimbledon are likely to be limited to just the one with Mixu Paatelainen making way for Lee.

Newcastle go into the game licking their wounds after Wednesday's shock FA Cup defeat by Chelsea, a week after their Coca-Cola Cup exit at Arsenal. Top scorer Les Ferdinand misses his first game since his £6 million summer arrival but Kevin Keegan is expected to have England internationals Steve Howey and Robert Lee available again. They might have no Ferdinand or Keith Gillespie to worry about but Wanderers know they will have their work cut out dealing with Frenchman David Ginola.

"I made the point when Ginola played here in our first home game that I considered he was the buy of the season," Todd recalled, "and I think he's proved just that.

"He's been a threat throughout the season and I think every side in the Premiership has respect for him because he is such a talented player. That's an area we will have to concentrate on tomorrow but the fact is that Newcastle are a very good side with a lot of good players. "I'll just be looking for our defence to be solid and for our midfield players to be positive when we have the ball and to graft to get it back when they have it."

Wanderers (from) Branagan, Green, Phillips, Curcic, Bergsson, Stubbs, Lee, Sneekes, Blake, McGinlay, Sellars, Paatelainen, McAnespie, Todd, Whittaker, de Freitas, Davison.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.