Ameobi to play in mask on return from cheek injury

Shola Ameobi could return to the Newcastle side to face Everton wearing a face mask. The striker fractured a cheekbone during the 1-0 defeat to Fulham last month and flew to America to see a specialist who fitted him with the protective face guard.

Ameobi returned to full-contact training on Tuesday and has been trying to get comfortable with his new headgear. He could be joined in the squad for Saturday's game by Stephen Ireland who is keen to make his debut for Newcastle after his loan move there from Aston Villa.

"Shola has trained with the rest of the group for the first time and so has Stephen Ireland, but we'll not make a final decision on whether they are able to play some part against Everton until Thursday," said the club's manager Alan Pardew. "It is looking good, though, and both have reacted positively in training.

"Shola has had a week with the mask, just getting used to it. There was no point getting him to wear the mask, ask him to play and he wasn't comfortable with it. He has to have that confidence it is going to protect him so he can throw himself around as usual.

"The guy who has designed the mask has done so loads of times before with basketball players and that is a far more risky sport when it comes to elbows in the face and injuries like this. But Shola still had to try it out, he's done that now and it would be great to have him involved at the weekend.

"I'll have to have a chat with him on Thursday, check he is comfortable and ask him whether he wants to play. I'm pretty sure he will, but it has to be his decision."

Ireland is yet to make his debut for Newcastle after his loan move while the midfielder started only six games for Aston Villa earlier in the season. He has not played since 6 December because of a knee injury but Pardew is keen for the 24-year-old to join on a full-time basis.

"It's a big opportunity for Stephen here," said Pardew. "He has enjoyed himself so far, has settled in well and this is a chance for him to show what he can do.

"Stephen didn't get much of a chance at Aston Villa for one reason or another, but he is a quality player. He will give us an extra goal threat from midfield and he can play in several different positions.

"We are interested in doing something in the summer which would make the move permanent, but a lot of water has to go under the bridge first. We have to see what Stephen does and we would have to talk to Villa about what they want to do. Let's just see how he does first."

Martins in dark over Blues future

Birmingham's Carling Cup final hero Obafemi Martins admits he has no idea what the future holds for him.

Martins, currently on loan with City from Rubin Kazan until the end of the season, guaranteed himself a place in Blues' history by scoring the winner in Sunday's shock 2-1 win over Arsenal.

However, the 26-year-old Nigerian striker has been told by Rubin coach Kurban Berdyev that he must return to Russia in May at the end of his loan.

City do have an option to make the move permanent for a fee of around £5million, although Berdyev maintains no formal offer has yet been received.

Martins, who helped Blues secure their first major trophy for 48 years, is currently in the dark as to what will happen.

"I don't know anything," Martins told the Birmingham Evening Mail.

"I'm still on loan and I just want to be with the team, scoring goals. We will see what is going to happen."

Eriksson denies Yak, King Swap deal

Leicester City boss, Sven Goran Eriksson has quelled speculations swaping his highly rated forward, Any King with a permanent move for on-loan his on-loan burly striker Yakubu Aiygbeni from Everton, in the summer.

The suggestions were that the Nigerian forward would be allowed to make his loan move a permanent transfer if King swapped City for the Goodison Park outfit, but Eriksson has debunked such claims.

“I have read about Andy King in the newspapers but I guarantee that I have heard nothing of this. The club has not been contacted because I would have known that as well. Andy’s agent has not spoken to me either.” said Eriksson, whose sides currently lie in seventh place in the Championship.

Yakubu has made an instant impression, scoring four in eight games and an excellent opener in their 2-0 victory over Derby. He has also managed to find his form after a dry spell with Everton, who loaned him out to the Walkers Stadium in January.

It would be recalled that the former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough striker had earlier stated that is not bothered being overlooked by Nigeria’s national team selectors for now, saying with match fitness and consistent scoring he will bounce back with the Super Eagles.

''After the World Cup, things did not go as I thought, I was not getting enough games and you can't blame national team selectors if you are not picked,'' he said

GHANA U-20 MAKE U-TURN

The national Under-20 team of Ghana, the Black Satellites, will not camp in Barcelona, Spain, for a training tour as planned.

The training trip was aimed at keeping the team in shape ahead of the Africa Youth Championship in troubled Libya.

The ongoing unrest in Libya has forced CAF to consider changing the venue.

Reports making the rounds indicate either South Africa or Algeria would be called upon by CAF to stage the tournament.

CAF’s decision to change the tournament from Libya is said to have influenced the Satellites management committee to alter its plans with regard to the training tour.

A source said the next training programme for the Satellites would be settled on by Friday, by which time CAF might have picked the country to host the tournament.

Ghana’s Black Satellites are the current reigning World and Africa champions.

Ghana made history by beating mighty Brazil to win the World Youth Championship in Egypt in 2009.

KNEE PAIN STOPPED MIKEL FROM UNITED CLASH

Fresh facts have emerged on why Super Eagles midfielder, John Obi Mikel was not listed for the English and FA Cup defending, Champions Chelsea in their dramatic 2-1 win over current league leaders, Manchester United at Stamford Bridge Tuesday night.

The former Lyn Oslo of Norway midfielder felt a problem with his knee in the warm-up prior to the game and was subsequently replaced on the substitute bench by Portuguese defender Paulo Ferreira.

The Nigerian international who just recuperated from a knee injury he picked up in last year’s 3-1 loss to Arsenal in December is expected to be back for the top four chasers when they visit Bloomfield to face high flyers Blackpool on Saturday.

Mikel last featured for Blues in their FA Cup loss to Everton at home has played 21 EPL games and two FA Cup games in the on-going campaign.

OLOFINJANA EYES CARDIFF SWITCH

Seyi Olofinjana has revealed he is hoping to turn his loan move from Hull to Cardiff into a permanent deal.

The Nigerian is currently on a season-long loan at Cardiff after finding himself surplus to requirements at the KC Stadium.

Olofinjana has impressed at Cardiff and has played a key role in their push for promotion to the Premier League.The former Wolverhampton Wanderers and Stoke City midfielder admits he is enjoying his spell at Cardiff and would be happy to stay there on a long-term basis.

"I'll have to go back to Hull and see what they say and they are keeping their cards close to their chest. I think that will determine whether or not they want me to stay or leave. We'll leave everything until the end of the season. I've enjoyed every bit of my time here. We'll see what happens at the end of the season. I'd love to stay here." said Olofinajana.

US EMBASSY DENY EAGLES STAR VISA

The United States of America embassy in Abuja, Nigeria, on Wednesday quashed the dream of another Super Eagles star, Isa Sherif to be part of Coach Samson Siasia’s Super Eagles party to the President Obama Green Bowl Soccer Tournament after the Kano Pillars central defender was denied visa on Wednesday.

The quartet of Abdulwasiu Sowemimo, Joseph Thompson, Gambo Mohammed and Sherif Isa were at the embassy on Wednesday for visa interview since they were not available on Monday when other members of the Super Eagles were drilled at the embassy.

Their absence was as a result of club commitment, having helped their club, Kano Pillars record a 2-1 away win over Mighty Barolle of Liberia on Sunday in a CAF Champions League game.However, while the trio of Sowemimo, Gambo and Thompson were successful, the same could not be said of Sherif who now joins the duo of coach Salisu Yusuf and striker Gbolahan Salami as the trio that failed the visa interview and consequently would miss the Obama Cup.

Meanwhile, Super Eagles assistant coach, Salisu Yusuf will have his fate determined next Monday. He was denied visa on his first visit to the US embassy earlier in the week but his passport according to him, is undergoing “administrative check.”