Keegan gets Viduka boost for Emirates

Jan 28 2008 by Alan Oliver, Evening Chronicle

MARK VIDUKA will make a welcome return to the Newcastle United side – when they return to The Emirates for tomorrow’s Premier League game with Arsenal.

But this is the only good news for Kevin Keegan, with Emre still suspended, Shola Ameobi not 100% match fit and reports that Joey Barton could back tomorrow unlikely to materialise.

Keegan is aware that the conditions of Barton’s bail have been changed and he could be available again.

But the word from the United boss is that he would prefer it if Barton came back in a friendly environment, say in a home game and not in front of a 57,000 Arsenal fans at The Emirates.

Keegan told me today: “Mark Viduka will definitely be back for us at Arsenal tomorrow night.

“As he had been out for a week I told him to stay at home over the weekend and get himself a little bit sharper.

“I was always intending to play Mark on Tuesday because I want to have a look at different combinations and that’s not me rotating, it’s me honestly looking and searching for little things we can build on.”

While Keegan finds himself down to the bares bones again tomorrow his opposite