Newcastle captain Alan Shearer insists he has no quarrel with David Ginola as the Frenchman prepares for another hostile welcome to St James's Park.
Ginola and his Tottenham Hotspur team-mates are in the north-east tonight for their FA Cup third round replay with Newcastle, but while talk of a feud between the two men continues to circulate, Shearer admits that he does not know what it is all about.
The Spurs winger made his own bed ahead of the league meeting on Tyneside last month when he said the £15 million striker was England captain in name only, and his comments met with a predictable response from the terraces.
But Shearer refuses to be drawn into the row, and even went on to name the Frenchman as one of the most talented he has played with.
"I don't know what it's all about," he said "I've never said anything about him."
Ginola represents the biggest threat to Newcastle's hopes of progressing to the fourth round, and manager Bobby Robson has chosen to man-mark him in recent encounters.
Newcastle will go into the game with fresh injury problems which mean the defence will pick itself.
Franck Dumas, Didier Domi, Alain Goma, Steve Howey and Andy Griffin are all long-term absentees, but Laurent Charvet and Alessandro Pistone are also likely to be missing.
Charvet was seeing a specialist about his long-standing knee injury today and Pistone failed to report for training after running up a temperature which makes his participation highly unlikely.
Teenager Gary Caldwell remains in the squad from the surprise 2-0 defeat at Bradford on Saturday, while Spaniard Marcelino returns a week ahead of schedule from a thigh injury.
Flu outbreak troubles rovers
Meanwhile Blackburn boss Tony Parkes is battling to keep the lid on Rovers' flu outbreak as they prepare for their third-round replay against West Brom at Ewood Park.
Central defender Darren Peacock and striker Matt Jansen are almost certainly out, with fullback Simon Grayson also rated doubtful, having succumbed to the bug that has swept through the club over the last fortnight.
Grayson will take a late check before the game, and Jeff Kenna could deputise while Martin Taylor will continue in Peacock's place.
Parkes tasted defeat for the first time during his nine-match reign away to Sheffield United on Sunday. West Brom, for their part, will be without suspended defenders Larus Sigurdsson and Daryl Burgess.
Second choice goalkeeper Chris Adamson is also banned for the replay, and manager Brian Little also has an injury headache to contend with.
Central defender Paul Raven has flu, and the Italian duo of midfielder Enzo Maresca and winger Max Iezzi are also struggling with illness. Striker James Quinn is a major doubt due to a groin injury.
Foxes injury worry over Heskey
Leicester City striker Emile Heskey is a major doubt for the FA Cup replay against minnows Hereford as Leicester aim to put the club's boardroom battles behind them.
Heskey suffered a calf-injury in Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Derby, which has not responded to treatment as quickly as had been anticipated. Manager Martin O'Neill will give Heskey another 24 hours to see if he improves. With new signing Darren Eadie cup-tied, Icelandic international Arnar Gunnlaugsson is set to partner Tony Cottee in attack if Heskey is ruled out.
Neil Lennon, Frank Sinclair and Steve Guppy remain on the injury list for a game O'Neill is not taking lightly after the 0-0 draw at Hereford 11 days ago.
