Last chance for Babayaro

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce has offered Celestine Babayaro an olive branch and told the Nigerian defender that he has one last chance to impress. Babayaro has 18 months left on his contract to do so.

"He is no longer injured and he's training," the Magpies chief told the Newcastle Chronicle. "But having not played competitively for such a long time he is short of match fitness.

"This now is the last go at it for Celestine."

A number of Newcastle players, namely Geremi, Habib Beye, Abdoulaye Faye and Obafemi Martins, are likely to be jetting off to Ghana in the New Year for the African Cup of Nations.

As Babayaro has fallen out with the Nigerian FA, he is not expected to take part.

Allardyce said: "There is a possibility that we may need Celestine in January.

"We'll have four players away at the African Nations then.

"But we have to get him match fit and then keep him that way.

"The squad will be short in January and we will need all of what we do have left to stay fit after what will have been a gruelling December programme."