NEWCASTLE United are facing up to the prospect of having both Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert ruled out of the derby with Sunderland.

Bellamy's personal hearing for using foul and abusive language to referee Andy D'Urso after the defeat to Middlesbrough will be heard the day before the Wear-Tyne clash.

Should the Welshman be found guilty then a suspension could come into effect immediately meaning he would miss the match at the Stadium of Light on April 26.

If Bellamy is banned it will be the latest in a long-line of incidents for the pace front man, who was involved in an altercation in a Cardiff club shortly before Wales' international with Azerbaijan last month.

The £6m man also served two Champions League bans this season after confrontations during the games with Dinamo Kiev and Inter Milan.

And Newcastle boss Sir Bobby Robson, who is hoping his side can secure a Champions League place, is almost certainly without Robert for the short trip to Wearside.

The French winger has revealed he will be out for just over two weeks with medial knee ligament damage sustained in the crushing 6-2 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday.

Robert, who is already ruled out of the Easter matches away to Fulham and at home to Aston Villa, said: "Even when I do nothing but walk my knee is not good.

"Therefore I will not be ready for Fulham. In about 15 days my knee should be better."

Robert, speaking on his personal website, added: "I have stretched the interior ligaments of my knee. I don't think it's really bad though because it's not inflated.

"I will not need an operation, it just leans to one side when I walk."

Meanwhile, the man who replaced Robert against the Red Devils, Hugo Viana, has dismissed talk of a move to Juventus in the summer.

The Portuguese boy wonder has only played a peripheral part in the Magpies' Premiership push this season and has been linked with a host of top European clubs.

But Viana, an £8.5m capture from Sporting Lisbon last summer, insists he is only concentrating on life at St. James' Park.

"I don't know anything about Juve's interest," said the European Young Player of the Year. "All I am thinking about at the momnent is Newcastle.

"I can only say something if there is a concrete proposal and that has not happened."

Earlier this season Viana hinted he would seriously consider a year-long loan move away from Tyneside. But Robson is keen to keep hold of one of his prize assets.

l Portsmouth last night clinched promotion to the Barclaycard Premiership with a single goal victory over Burnley at Fratton Park.

Bulgarian striker Svetoslav Todorov grabbed the winner from close range 17 minutes from time.

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