Celestine Babayaro is ready to risk losing his Chelsea place next year to ensure he does not miss out on the chance of facing England at the World Cup finals.

The defender admits he is in a no-win situation ahead of the African Nations Cup finals, which take place in Mali for about three weeks from the end of next month.

His international career was interrupted by a falling out with the Nigerian FA over unpaid expenses, while Chelsea were also unhappy that he was late returning from the last African Nations Cup.

However, he was back in the national side for a recent friendly against Japan.

Although Babayaro will lose his Chelsea place to Graeme Le Saux while he is gone, he still looks set to travel as all Nigerian players have been warned they risk losing their World Cup places if they do not turn up in Mali.

The full back admitted: "It is hard. At the end of the day, I play for Chelsea. They pay my wages and they look after me. At the same time, I'm Nigerian and I play for the national team.

"Football in Africa is something that keeps the continent going. So when you're picked to represent your country, you really don't want to say no.

"This makes the people happy and keeps them together. You get in trouble either way."

Le Saux is expected to be back in contention to rival Babayaro for a starting role in tonight's League Cup quarter-final against Newcastle after missing the weekend draw at Sunderland following two knocks to the head.

Boudewijn Zenden will also be hoping for a recall after flu, although there is a further doubt over Slavisa Jokanovic (ankle), while Marcel Desailly (Achilles) and Emmanuel Petit (ankle) are still ruled out.

Newcastle may be without Kieron Dyer, who pulled up in training yesterday, and Laurent Robert, who limped off at Portman Road at the weekend with a recurrence of a long-standing hip injury and is even more unlikely to feature than Dyer.