NEWCASTLE United last night received a welcome boost when Arsenal striker Thierry Henry was ruled out of tomorrow's FA Cup quarter-final clash at St. James' Park.

But the news that the Frenchman's three-match ban takes immediate effect didn't go down as well on Wearside.

Hot-shot Henry, suspended by the FA after being found guilty of improper conduct, is now clear to face relegation-threatened Sunderland three weeks tomorrow.

The 28-goal frontman was expected to miss the Highbury visit of Peter Reid's side, along with the home clash with West Ham a week earlier and the game at Charlton on Easter Monday, after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger initially indicated that the Gunners would appeal against the ban.

But the FA yesterday confirmed the Premiership title-chasers would not, after all, be appealing and that Henry will now miss the Newcastle tie and the Premiership games against Aston Villa a week on Sunday and West Ham six days later. The FA imposed the ban at a hearing on Wednesday following Henry's wild protests at referee Graham Poll when Newcastle won 3-1 at Highbury a week before Christmas.

An FA spokesman told Echo Sport: "Arsenal have not appealed, so Henry's ban takes immediate effect. Had they appealed, he would have been eligible for the Newcastle game.''

After losing 2-0 last Saturday at home to an Arsenal side minus a then-injured Henry, and crashing 3-0 at Liverpool on Wednesday night, Newcastle need a lift ahead of renewed hostilities with the Gunners. Magpies boss Bobby Robson already has worries in midfield, with Gary Speed sidelined with a hamstring injury sustained at Anfield and new boy Jermaine Jenas Cup-tied.

Kieron Dyer was due to start training again yesterday after six weeks out with a foot stress fracture.

But with Robson insisting he won't risk the injury-plagued midfielder, the best Dyer can expect is a place on the bench.

Robson warned: "As much as I would love him to play, I think by playing him I would put him out of football.''

Newcastle's double Premiership setback looks to have given the lie to their title pretensions.

But Speed insists a Champions' League place is all but assured.

Fourth-placed Newcastle are seven points clear of Leeds and eight ahead of Chelsea, with the Blues having a game in hand.

But Welsh international Speed said: "We still have nine games left in the Premiership and 27 points to play for.

"We have to be looking to get 20 of those points.

That's something we're more than capable of and if we do that it will take us to 75 points, which should be enough to qualify for the Champions' League.''

* Bobby Robson has compared Dennis Bergkamp's wonder goal for Arsenal at St. James' Park last week to a Joe Davis snooker trick shot.

Bergkamp bamboozled Newcastle centre-back Nikos Dabizas with a magical flick and spin before beating keeper Shay Given.

Robson said: "It was a Joe Davis shot, the way he spun round Dabizas.

"You just have to compliment him. I don't know whether it was luck or whether he meant it.

"I wouldn't want to take anything away from him. It was a piece of mesmeric skill - but I don't think he could do it again.''

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