DARYL JANMAAT is ready to plug Newcastle United’s central-defensive hole in the next three games – even though he has never played in the position for a full 90 minutes.

The Magpies are set to appeal against Fabricio Coloccini’s dismissal in Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Everton, but as things stand, the Argentinian will miss the forthcoming matches with Arsenal, Sunderland and Liverpool.

His absence could hardly be more untimely, with Newcastle already chronically short of centre-halves in the absence of injured duo Steven Taylor and Paul Dummett, and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Davide Santon and Remie Streete, all of whom were allowed to leave in January either permanently or on loan.

Janmaat moved across from his usual position of right-back to partner Mike Williamson at the heart of the defence in Sunday’s Goodison Park reverse, and is set to remain in a central position when Arsenal visit Tyneside this weekend.

He looked reasonably comfortable as a central defender at Everton, but concedes it is not a position he has experienced before or that he hopes to fill regularly in the future.

For now, though, he accepts he will have to do what he can for the good of the team, and despite the prospect of facing Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez in four days time, he is confident he will help Newcastle improve on their desultory display at Goodison.

“I will play in the middle of the defence if I am asked to do so, although it is not really my position,” said Janmaat, who has been the Magpies’ most reliable defender throughout the campaign.

“It is not really as though I have ambitions to stay there, but we all know what the situation is at the moment and if I have to play there, I will.

“If the team needs me there, I am confident I can do well there, even though I have not played as a central defender in the whole of my career. The second half at Everton was the first time I have played there so it is not something I know all that well.”

Sunday’s defeat was followed by a dressing-room inquest that saw head coach John Carver instruct some of his senior players to discuss what they felt went wrong as Newcastle were comfortably brushed aside by an Everton team claiming their first league home win since the turn of the year.

Carver described the discussion as “sensible” and “composed”, but outside the confines of the squad, there have been inevitable suggestions that Sunday’s performance was the inevitable result of having nothing to play for in the final two months of the season.

Newcastle’s players have consistently rejected such accusations, although there is a shared acceptance that standards must improve markedly if similar embarrassments are to be avoided in the remaining nine matches.

“Right from the start, it was simply not good enough,” said Janmaat. “We spoke after the game and there is a determination to make sure we do not repeat what happened against Everton.

The Northern Echo:

“I thought we were better with ten men than we were with 11, and that should not be the case. The energy was not high enough, and the performance was simply not good enough all round.

“We have to play much better in the next game to have any chance of getting a result. If we play in the same way against Arsenal, we will have no chance of doing anything.”

Newcastle have the option of bringing in a free agent for the final two months of the season, with former Everton defender Joseph Yobo having been mentioned as a possible option, but as things stand, there is little chance of the squad being added to.

“There are some difficult games coming up now, and our squad is getting smaller because players are unavailable,” said Janmaat. “We have to make sure we are giving absolutely everything in the game.

“We don’t have too many players left now, but that is the situation and the transfer window is closed. We have to do it with this group, and we have to stay positive. We have to try to get some better results with the players we have.”