Newcastle are braced for another row over soccer agents - five months after slamming Dennis Roach's part in Duncan Ferguson's transfer to Everton.

This time the Geordies are refusing to back down in a dispute over Clarence Acuna's £1m switch from the University of Chile.

Agent Barry Silkman claims that Newcastle still owe him cash for setting up the deal and is threatening to take the club to court. But chairman Freddy Shepherd refuses to budge.

Shepherd made a personal trip to Buenos Aires in October to complete the move and negotiated for six hours with Acuna and his club president Pedro Gardenras.

The midfielder's agent Ronen Katzav accused Newcastle of cutting him out of the deal and threatened to report the Premiership club to FIFA. Now Silkman maintains he hasn't been paid for lining up Acuna - although he was reimbursed for his work in bringing Argentinian Daniel Cordone to Tyneside.

Silkman says manager Bobby Robson asked him to look for players in South America.

He claims he has documentation from Newcastle confirming that he was bringing in the Chilean as well as an 18-page briefing to secure Acuna's work permit.

Newcastle have put the matter in the hands of their solicitors and refused to comment yesterday.

But on local radio last week Shepherd said: "We saved a fortune by going down there for ourselves and doing a deal with Acuna and the club, and cutting the agents out of it. They got too greedy."

Acuna has been a hit in the Premiership and plays at Chelsea tomorrow as Newcastle bid to consolidate a top six place.

But Kieron Dyer's comeback chances are still in the balance. Newcastle are reluctant to push their England midfielder in case Dyer suffers a further reaction to the shin injury that has troubled him for a month.

And the fear remains that the 22-year-old star might need an operation at some stage to cure the condition. Dyer trained yesterday and provided there is no reaction he looks set to return at Stamford Bridge. He has rested for more than a fortnight after serving a two-match ban, but Newcastle will continue to monitor his condition closely and they are ready to pull him out of the firing line if there is any sign of a recurrence.

Keeper Steve Harper expects to be fit although he's resigned to being back on the bench.

Defender David Beharall could be lined up for a loan spell at Preston after spending a couple of days at the club last week