Newcastle United Football Club News

• Nickname:Magpies
• Founded:1881
• Manager:Alan Pardew

• Ground:St James' Park
• Capacity:52,193

Dowie: Martins issue sorted

15 Apr 2009 - 15:48:37

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Newcastle United first-team coach Iain Dowie says that the furore surrounding Obafemi Martins' late withdrawal from the game at Stoke City at the weekend has been dealt with.

The 24-year-old Nigeria international missed the game due to a groin injury, but left the Magpies hierarchy baffled by not telling them of the problem before the morning of the game.

Dowie told the club's official website: "There hasn't been a falling-out with Obafemi Martins and the matter has been dealt with.

"It's gone and it's in the past and he has said he is fully behind the cause here. We never said there wasn't an injury.

"All Alan (Shearer) expressed was his disappointment that he had not been told about the injury until 11.15 on the Saturday morning, which was too late.

"It was disappointing, that's all, because we had been working on a system all week and then had to scrap it at the last minute because of the injury to Oba. There is no bad feeling.

"He has gone away for a scan and hopefully the prognosis will be a good one and he will be back involved quickly because he is an important player for us.

"The communication should have been better, but to be fair to Oba he was desperate to be involved and maybe that was why he kept quiet about the injury."