Kluivert to miss Magpies' match

Newcastle striker Patrick Kluivert has lost his battle to be fit for the Magpies’ game at Charlton but Shola Ameobi has recovered from his own injury in time to make the trip to The Valley.

Graeme Souness and his team head to London looking to extend an unbeaten run which has seen them win five and draw one of their six games since the Scot’s appointment.

But Souness will have to do without six-goal Kluivert, who is yet to resume full training and has spent the past fortnight receiving treatment.

Kluivert has been troubled by a hamstring problem for some time and came off at half-time in Newcastle’s last game at Birmingham.

Souness is determined not to rush Kluivert back and risk him breaking down completely, given the run of Barclays Premiership, UEFA Cup and Carling Cup games United have coming up

Souness said: “Patrick’s had a niggling hamstring problem since day one when I came here. It’s disappointing but encouraging as well because when he’s 100% we’ll get even more out of him.

“It’s a blow but we’ve got a hard programme coming up and we’ve got to make sure that we get him right.”

While Kluivert is still struggling, Ameobi has made rapid progress in his own comeback from a hip problem and has made the squad.

Ameobi’s return gives Souness another option up front, but he is likely to restore Craig Bellamy as an out-and-out striker alongside Alan Shearer and bring in either Laurent Robert or James Milner on the left wing.

Bellamy, and the other players away on international duty over the past fortnight, reported back yesterday afternoon injury-free, much to Souness’ relief.

Robert, meanwhile, has largely been restricted to the substitutes’ bench under Souness, who has opted to accommodate Kluivert, Bellamy and Shearer in his starting line-up.