INJURY-HIT Newcastle Falcons will again have Mark Wilkinson at fly half for tonight's Zurich Premiership match against Saracens at Vicarage Road.

Jonny Wilkinson, Dave Walder and Academy fly half Toby Flood all have knee injuries, so the England captain's elder brother will continue in the role he performed against Newport two weeks ago.

Also ruled out are flanker Colin Charvis (foot), winger Michael Stephenson (broken hand), scrum half Hall Charlton (back) and young lock Andy Buist, who is out for the season with anterior cruciate ligament damage.

It is hoped that Walder, Stephenson and Charlton could be fit for the home match against Wasps on Sunday week, but Charvis will be out for two or three weeks and misses Wales' Six Nations opener against England next weekend.

Newcastle are able to field centres Jamie Noon and Mathew Tait tonight, despite yesterday's confirmation that they are in the trimmed-down England squad of 30, along with former teammate Hugh Vyvyan, now captain of Saracens.

Full back Matt Burke claims to be fully fit after defying injury to score the match-winning try against Newport, which took the Falcons through to the Heineken Cup quarter-finals.

They will be away to Stade Francais on April 6 with a home semi-final against Biarritz or Munster if they win, and Burke said: "I'm sure the Geordies would come out in numbers to support us if we got to the semis.

"I have noticed in my time here that the people of Newcastle are really passionate about the city as a whole.

"But the quarter-final is more than two months away, so we have to continue to be consistent in the Premiership.

"The intensity of the league here is the most noticeable difference from back home. Games tend to be more forward-dominated, which is mainly due to the weather, but we like to get the ball wide when we can and it's been enjoyable to be part of it."

Newcastle drew at home to Saracens in October and lost 22-20 at Vicarage Road in the Powergen Cup, a game which Burke missed with a stomach bug.

Director of Rugby Rob Andrew said: "Our biggest problem in the cup game was that we didn't start playing until five minutes before half-time, when we were 17-0 down.

"The one consolation of that defeat is that it gave us a week off last week, which we were in desperate need of. The players were tired mentally and physically and injuries are starting to catch up with us.

"But even though we have a lot of injuries, with the squad we have we are still able to name a strong side. If we can come through the Six Nations in reasonable shape then we can hit the back end of the season on fire.

"Everyone in the Premiership is in the same boat. We just have to get on with it."

New Zealander Cory Harris, ineligible for the European group games, returns at open side in place of Charvis, while James Grindal is at scrum half and Joe Shaw takes Stephenson's place on the wing.

Skipper Ian Peel said: "We are fourth in the table and we are not going to be distracted from the important task of maintaining our league form. An away win would be fantastic - it would keep us right up there challenging for a place in the play-offs."

* Scrum half Michael Young, of Brierton School, Hartlepool, is one of four players attached to Newcastle Falcons named in the England Under 16 training squad to meet at Gloucester on February 9-15. The others are flanker Grant Beasley, lock Graham Dunn and fly half Rob Miller.

Another scrum half, former Barnard Castle School player Lee Dickson, is in the England Under 21 squad for the Six Nations opener against Wales at Newport on February 4.

* Darlington's casualties from last week's heavy defeat at Bradford and Bingley are all fit for tomorrow's home match against Tynedale.

The only absentee will be lock Tom Wilkinson, who broke a leg against Darlington Mowden Park and is out for the season. Matt Dilworth could continue to deputise, or Darlington might consider giving a debut to Catterick-based Fijian Joe Naga.

Another newcomer in the squad is former Hartlepool and Barnard Castle School player Neil Howe, a winger or centre who works for the Cleveland Fire Service.

Back row man Andy Carphin has re-signed after playing for Harrogate in the early part of the season, and will be available from mid-February.

Mowden are desperate to end their run of five defeats at Rugby Lions, who are a place below them after their own slide down the table was accelerated by having five points deducted for fielding an ineligible player.

Prop Danny Brown will be available after playing for the Newcastle Development XV on Monday, along with wingers James Hamer and Peter Phelan.

Blaydon, who entertain Bradford and Bingley, will be without scrum half Nick Williams for next month's match against Macclesfield as he will be training with the Austrian squad.

He is eligible through his grandparents and has been named in the squad for their World Cup qualifiers.

Blaydon have re-signed lock David Falconer, who hails from Whickham and went to Dame Allan's School in Newcastle. He is in the army and after playing for London Irish and Brive he has been posted back to the North-East.