Albion boss Chris Hughton expects promotion rivals Newcastle United to cope with the long-term absence of Jonjo Shelvey.

The influential midfielder has been banned for five games after an FA panel found him guilty of using racially abusive language.

Shelvey, on target in the Seagulls' 2-0 defeat in the North-East in August, had a personal hearing to challenge the charge which arose from an incident involving Wolves' Moroccan midfielder Romain Saiss in September.

Hughton told The Argus: "With the squad they've got, it would probably be a bit disrespectful to speak about the impact it will have being without him.

"They have got some really good players and really good options. I don't think it would be any different to having a player out injured for four or five games.

"That's what every club will have to do, be without players for a period of time, and it's how they cope with it. They certainly have the squad to cope."

Rafa Benitez will also lose Senegal midfielder Mohamed Diamé to the African Cup of Nations in January.

Newcastle will stretch their lead over Albion at the top of the Championship to four points if they defeat Newcastle at St James' Park on Monday evening.

Aston Villa's hopes of mounting a promotion challenge in the second half of the season will be hit hard by top scorer Jonathan Kodjia's involvement in the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast.

Hughton said: "I've heard Steve Bruce speak about missing players, but in the general scheme of things, at the start of the season when you have a player like Kodjia who did so well at Bristol City and you have to take a decision to take him or not take him, knowing the possibility of the African Nations, almost every manager would still take him and work around it."

Kodjia (below) scored the goal at Loftus Road on Sunday which condemned Tuesday's Amex visitors QPR to a fourth defeat on the trot under pundit turned manager-once-more Ian Holloway.

The Argus: Hughton said: "I saw them against Villa and they played well. Since Ollie has gone there, the performances have been good, but they haven't found a way of winning."