Nolberto Solano will think twice about his World Cup obligations if Peru fail to qualify for the 2002 finals.

Newcastle midfielder Solano plays in his country's ninth qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz tomorrow.

And he faces a further nine journeys to South America if Peru succeed in reaching the finals.

Confronted with the prospect of 14-hour flights each way Solano has hinted that he'll reconsider his situation if Peru cannot qualify.

He said: "I do not like to miss games. The match against Bolivia is good because there is a blank weekend in the Premiership. And after November there are no more internationals until March."

Solano, 25, insists he'll be back in plenty of time for Newcastle's derby match at Middlesbrough on Monday week.

And his agent Simon Kennedy yesterday gave the clearest indication that the South American star plans to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

Kennedy scotched talk of a move and insisted: "He loves Newcastle and he's happy at the club. He has two years to run on his contract and I don't see him going anywhere right now.

"He has played at all the Premiership clubs and feels that Newcastle is second to none, so it's highly unlikely he would go anywhere else in England. Nolberto's view is that if he did move it would be to Spain or Italy."

Manchester City have denied tabling a £2m bid for Newcastle's Chilean target Clarence Acuna. The five-week saga involving Acuna took a new twist after suggestions that City wanted the midfielder to have a trial at Maine Road.

Agent Ronen Katzav has been commissioned to find the player an English club but University of Chile president Rene Orozco is annoyed that Katzav allegedly wants 50 percent of the fee. The wrangle could scupper Acuna's hopes of moving to Tyneside.