KEVIN KEEGAN is sweating on the fitness of Mark Viduka for Newcastle United’s double date with Arsenal at The Emirates Stadium in the space of four days.
 United go to Arsenal for Saturday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie, and they are back at The Emirates again on Tuesday night for a Premier League game. Keegan was already down to the bare bones for last Saturday’s game with Bolton at St James’s Park when Viduka pulled up in training on Friday with a calf problem, and was immediately ruled out for the following day. Viduka has not had the best of luck with injuries since he switched from Teesside to Tyneside, but he still has five goals. And with Oba Martins away on African Nations Cup duty, the 32-year-old Aussie is very important to Keegan. When I asked Keegan if Viduka would be fit to face Arsenal he replied: “We don’t know – he pulled his muscle after two minutes of the warm-up the other day. He’s had a scan, and we’ll have to wait and see. “There are Nicky Butt and Alan Smith to come back for Arsenal, and I’m looking forward to Joey Barton getting back as well. “Obviously we’ll have Emre when his suspension’s over, and the four African players.” The reference to Barton is interesting, as under the terms of his bail conditions he has to be back at the Sporting Chance clinic in Hampshire by 7pm every night. But with United’s tie kicking off at 3pm on Saturday, Barton could still make it from the Emirates to Hampshire by helicopter after the match. Meanwhile, Arsenal were licking their wounds today after their 5-1 mauling by derby rivals Spurs in their Carling Cup semi-final second-leg at White Hart Lane last night. And I believe this will make things just that little bit harder for Keegan and United on Saturday, with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger under pressure to send out a stronger team than he perhaps intended. | 
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