The Australian's £80,000-per-week contract expires this summer but it is understood the powers-that-be at the Tyneside club currently have no intention of extending his stay in the North-East The club's directors are planning to discuss new contracts with three Newcastle players but they do not intend to sit down with Viduka, 33, and his representatives as they try to slash a £73-million wage bill.
When Viduka joined Newcastle on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in July 2007 he signed a two-year deal with a one-year option available to both parties at the end of the initial period.
However, that relied on Viduka making a set amount of appearances and this term he has managed just five appearances this term due to an ankle injury.
The former Leeds and Celtic striker could have the chance to persuade his paymasters to have a change of heart and is in contention for a place in the Newcastle side that will play Everton on Sunday.
Meanwhile Newcastle's caretaker coaches Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood could call for backup in the absence of convalescing Joe Kinnear.
Hughton said: "We're both coaches who are used to the training pitch.
"There will be some parts of training that I will take and some that Colin will take, but on the Saturday I will be the manager and he will be assisting me.
"He's a good person for me to lean on because he's had managerial experience, but if at any stage we felt we needed to bring someone in, we would. But the only reason we would do that is to cover.
"We feel that we're OK at the moment, but we wouldn't hesitate to do it if we felt like we needed another body to perhaps do some individual work. We wouldn't hesitate to do that."
The Australian's £80,000-per-week contract expires this summer but it is understood the powers-that-be at the Tyneside club currently have no intention of extending his stay in the North-East The club's directors are planning to discuss new contracts with three Newcastle players but they do not intend to sit down with Viduka, 33, and his representatives as they try to slash a £73-million wage bill.
When Viduka joined Newcastle on a free transfer from Middlesbrough in July 2007 he signed a two-year deal with a one-year option available to both parties at the end of the initial period.
However, that relied on Viduka making a set amount of appearances and this term he has managed just five appearances this term due to an ankle injury.
The former Leeds and Celtic striker could have the chance to persuade his paymasters to have a change of heart and is in contention for a place in the Newcastle side that will play Everton on Sunday.
Meanwhile Newcastle's caretaker coaches Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood could call for backup in the absence of convalescing Joe Kinnear.
Hughton said: "We're both coaches who are used to the training pitch.
"There will be some parts of training that I will take and some that Colin will take, but on the Saturday I will be the manager and he will be assisting me.
"He's a good person for me to lean on because he's had managerial experience, but if at any stage we felt we needed to bring someone in, we would. But the only reason we would do that is to cover.
"We feel that we're OK at the moment, but we wouldn't hesitate to do it if we felt like we needed another body to perhaps do some individual work. We wouldn't hesitate to do that."
