Newcastle prepare for Sporting battle

Uefa Cup/Quarter-final, first leg: Six days on from their internecine fist-fight Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer will be back at St James' Park tonight. Both may even be on the pitch together at some stage. Newcastle United's task is to see beyond this diversion and focus on beating Sporting Lisbon. It may not be easy.

"It's been a nice, normal quiet week, it's been life at Newcastle United," said their manager Graeme Souness yesterday.

"But we've got to put it behind us. The important thing is to try and get a result."

Souness spoke of his "deep disappointment" that Dyer's appeal against the automatic three-game ban for his red card went unheeded by the English Football Association and he added of Dyer: "As far as I'm concerned, he won't be fined (by the club, unlike Bowyer)."

Souness then reiterated that he wanted to discuss Bowyer and Dyer no more and, sounding not dissimilar to Bobby Robson, added: "We shouldn't be surprised by surprises."

There was a Sporting development last weekend that offered a reminder that Newcastle United do not have exclusive rights to unwelcome news.

As Bowyer and Dyer were brawling, over in Oporto at the home of Boavista, two Sporting Lisbon players were allegedly throwing punches of their own. Sporting won 4-0, but a Boavista director claimed after the game that he had been assaulted by the Sporting players Sa Pinto and Rui Jorge.

The alleged incident occurred in the tunnel and what exactly happened remains unsubstantiated, but, like Bowyer and Dyer, Pinto and Rui Jorge will receive an immediate domestic ban and could be suspended for up to two years if found guilty in an investigation.

They are still eligible for tonight, however.

NEWCASTLE (probable): Given; Carr, O'Brien, Taylor, Hughes; Dyer, Faye, Jenas, Robert; Shearer, Ameobi.

SPORTING LISBON (probable): Ricardo; Rogerio, Beto, Enakarhire, Jorge; Barbosa, Rochemback, Moutinho, Martins; Pinto, Liedson.