FORMER Wanderers' favourite Robbie Elliott looks likely to play for Newcastle at the Reebok on Saturday after all.

Manager Bobby Robson had praised left back Olivier Bernard after his splendid debut at Barnsley on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old French defender turned in a sparkling performance as United kept only their second domestic clean sheet of the season.

Robson said: "Olivier Bernard looks as though he is going to be a super player. He pleased me in what were very testing circumstances for him.

"He's been here for over a year and we needed to get a look at him - and we liked what we saw.

"But we have Robbie Elliott, who we got from Bolton Wanderers, and we know he will think about going back there on Saturday."

And unless he changes his usual 4-4-2 formation at the Reebok, it looks as though Sylvain Distin, who rejected Wanderers for Newcastle and also had a good full debut against Barnsley, will join Bernard in the dug-out.

This information was obtained from the Newcastle Evening Chronicle web site

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