Butt's in frame to replace suspended Smith.

Byline: LEE RYDER

NICKY BUTT is in contention to replace banned midfielder Alan Smith against Doncaster Rovers.

Smith sits this one out in the sin bin after reaching five yellow cards from his 12 Coca-Cola Championship game so far this season.

Butt has recovered from a bout of flu this week which forced him to miss the trip to Scunthorpe.

United boss Chris Hughton, who opted for an out-of-sorts Geremi in midweek at Glanford Park, told the Chronicle: "Geremi had been involved in two games before that at international level last week. I had a decision to make. Nicky Butt was initially going to be available for the game but he missed out because he felt unwell.

"He missed the day's training the day before.

"Nicky is now in contention again."

Hughton is confident that Newcastle can end their poor run of form against the Yorkshire side.

He said: "We'll be looking for a reaction.

"The positive signs are that - apart from learning more and more about the league in every game - we're still joint top.

"We're where we want to be.

"We didn't know what we would be confronted with, we need to take it forward.

"We need a good win."

United's players are fired up ahead of the clash with Donny and it is understood that some of the squad have been hurt by the criticism that came their way after the defeats at Nottingham Forest and Scunthorpe.

Hughton says: "Criticism is part of the game.

"It was a Scunthorpe side that beat Sheffield United.

"Many people would have said that they were in for promotion.

"This is what this league is all about - we certainly won't be the only ones who go to Scunthorpe and don't come away with the points.

"What we have to remind ourselves is that we're on the back of a good enough performance - we just couldn't take our chances.

"If we had, we'd have won comfortably.

"Of course, we made two poor errors for the goal.

"We are in a position that we can push on from." HARIS Vuckic will be out until the start of 2010 after an ankle operation following an injury sustained on international duty with the Slovenian Under-19s.