Robson considers strike options

Shola Ameobi, Lomana LuaLua and Carl Cort will battle it out for the chance to replace the suspended Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy for Newcastle’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen tomorrow night.

Shearer’s place as skipper is likely to be taken by Gary Speed, who is poised to return to the starting line-up after recovering from surgery on a hernia, with Nolberto Solano having been left behind for treatment on a thigh strain.

New signing Jonathan Woodgate, who would have been ineligible anyway, is working to shake off a similar problem, while Hugo Viana was due to return to training today following a lengthy lay-off with a dislocated shoulder.

Provisional squad: Given, Harper, Karelse, Hughes, Bernard, Griffin, Elliott, Bramble, O’Brien, Dabizas, S. Caldwell, Dyer, Speed, Jenas, Robert, Kerr, Acuna, Ameobi, LuaLua, Cort, Chopra.