Ameobi staying at Newcastle

Shola Ameobi's hopes of securing a move out of Newcastle seem to have been dashed after Sam Allardyce revealed that Ameobi has a future at the club. Shola Ameobi has recently been linked with a move to Birmingham and Aston Villa, but the Newcastle striker will be staying put.

"Shola is going absolutely nowhere," Allardyce said.

"He remains very much a part of my plans and we are not interested in selling him in January. He is a very talented player who has an important role to play in the squad. He has been frustrated because he has not really had a chance to show me what he can do, but I know what he is capable of."

The striker is expected to be called upon in the absence of Michael Owen after he picked up an injury against Austria for England.