BOBBY ROBSON last night insisted that Kieron Dyer's World Cup prospects won't be hindered by his absence from the England team for this week's warm-up game against Italy at Elland Road.

Sven-Goran Eriksson was in attendance as Dyer proved his recovery from a foot stress fracture with an energetic 90-minute run-out in Newcastle's 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final replay defeat at Highbury on Saturday.

Dyer also showed no ill-effects from the virus which forced him to come off after only 20 minutes of last week's reserve game against Manchester City.

He was duly included in the squad Eriksson named on Saturday night, but Robson confirmed he has told the England coach that his midfield gem must remain under wraps until Newcastle's medical team are satisfied there is no immediate risk of the injury recurring.

Consequently, Dyer will only train with England this week before sitting on the sidelines on Wednesday night.

"The surgeon says, because of the stress fracture, two games in a week is too much for him at the moment,'' stressed Robson.

"He's had two months out and four days' training, and he lasted the whole of Saturday's game.

"But the surgeon has laid down the law that there's no simple remedy for this type of thing.

"The World Cup is not until June, so he's got about six weeks between now and the end of the season to get over it. That will give him a chance to be all right in the World Cup.

"There's no way he'll play on Wednesday - and I've told Sven that.

"Kieron is not worried that he's not playing. Now that his foot is all right and he can train and play, he'll develop his own desire.''

The Cup exit means Newcastle have now gone five games without a win and Robson is anxious to stop the rot to make certain they don't lose their hold on a top-four Premiership spot and miss the Champions' League gravy train.

Robson is fostering a "family'' atmosphere in the build-up to Good Friday's crucial home game with relegation fighters Everton.

"We're a family, we stick together and we have good resolve in the squad to pick ourselves up,'' said Robson.

"The players deserve a lot of credit because we've pleased a lot of people this season, not only in Newcastle, but around the country. We've played some nice football and had some sensational wins.''

Injuries deprived Newcastle of key men on Saturday in Gary Speed (hamstring) and Craig Bellamy (knee), while Jermaine Jenas was Cup-tied.

But Robson remained upbeat, saying: "We've got Speed to come back soon, Bellamy hopefully in two weeks, and Dyer is a plus.''

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger fears that winger Robert Pires, who opened the scoring on Saturday, could miss most of the rest of the season with a medial knee ligament injury.

Pires fell in agony after riding a challenge from Newcastle centre-back Nikos Dabizas.

The French winger is definitely out of Saturday's home game against Sunderland and could also miss the Cup semi-final with Middlesbrough at Old Trafford two weeks on Sunday.

Wenger said: "He seems to have twisted medial ligaments. He'll be out for the next two games at least, and maybe two to four weeks.''

Arsenal's win in their 50th game of the season means the title showdown at Manchester United, scheduled for the day before the semi-final, is postponed.

And after seeing his side bounce back from the disappointment of their Champions' League elimination last week, a mischievous Wenger said: "It could be an advantage if we play Manchester United in the last week of the season.''

Boss Mick McCarthy has told Shay Given and Andy O'Brien that he won't expect them to play the whole of Ireland's game with Denmark on Wednesday.

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