ALAN SHEARER has shown his ruthless streak by axing £10m defender Fabricio Coloccini from Newcastle United’s starting line-up.

And while a groin injury prevents Obafemi Martins’ from playing at Stoke City, there were also suggestions that Shearer was also understood to have opted to play Shola Ameobi up front with Michael Owen.

There is no such hiding place for Coloccini and his Argentine compatriot Jonas Gutierrez, however. Both have been dropped to roles as substitutes at the Britannia Stadium following last weekend’s defeat to Chelsea.

It means that Shearer has asked David Edgar and Danny Guthrie to come in, along with Ryan Taylor and Ameobi, while defender Sebastien Bassong is also back after injury.

Newcastle’s need for three points against Stoke heightened this afternoon, when Middlesbrough’s victory over Hull City meant the Magpies dropped to second from bottom of the Premier League.

Shearer knew, though, that a two-goal win over Stoke would lift them out of the relegation zone, albeit on goals scored from their local rivals Sunderland, who lost to Manchester United.

STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Sorensen; Wilkinson, Ab. Faye, Shawcross, Higginbotham; Lawrence, Whelan, Delap, Etherington; Beattie, Fuller. Subs: Simonsen, Sonko, Tonge, Kelly, Cresswell, Olofinjana.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): Harper; R Taylor, Edgar, Beye, Bassong; Guthrie, Butt, Nolan, Duff; Owen, Ameobi. Subs: Krul, Coloccini, Smith, Gutierrez, Geremi, Carroll, Ranger.