Duo show commitment

By Matthew Jones
August 17 2002

Defensive duo Nikos Dabizas and Aaron Hughes have displayed their commitment to the United cause by pulling out of internationals next week.

Defensive duo Nikos Dabizas and Aaron Hughes have displayed their commitment to the United cause by pulling out of internationals next week.

The Magpies face the prospect of three games in nine days and both players have decided to pull out of their prospective international friendlies in a bid to stay injury free.

Dabizas' Greece face Romania next Wednesday, while Hughes was pencilled in to play for Northern Ireland against Cyprus at Windsor Park.
Sir Bobby Robson said: "Nikos pulled out on Thursday and Aaron Hughes has done the same.

"Sammy McIlroy has been really good about the situation and he promised that he would only recall Aaron if his squad was weakened by a series of key injuries over the weekend."

Wales pair Gary Speed and Craig Bellamy are both injured and will not link up with Mark Hughes' squad, while Andy O'Brien will also not team up with the Republic of Ireland due to his shin problem and so only Shay Given will be away from the club.

United kick-off their Premiership campaign at St James' Park against West Ham on Monday before facing Manchester City at Maine Road at 12:15pm next Saturday and then Zeljeznicar at St James' on the following Wednesday.

Robson is relieved that his charges will get a few days extra to recover before the big kick-off, but he knows that things will get busy after that. "I'm quite pleased we're playing West Ham on Monday rather than Saturday after the gruelling trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina. But after that it begins to get a bit hectic," added the boss.