NEWCASTLE UNITED'S search for a new No 9 requires a striker capable of dealing with the pressure of filling Alan Shearer's boots as much as he is of scoring goals.

That is the assertion of the man leading the chase, manager Glenn Roeder, and there are a few players he has listed to target.

One of those is Chelsea's Eidur Gudjohnsen but Newcastle's chances of landing the Icelandic striker appear to have dwindled by the emergence of credited interest from Real Madrid.

Sources in London and in Spain both claim Real are prepared to let Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos move to Stamford Bridge provided Gudjohnsen heads in the opposite direction.

The former Bolton striker is exactly the sort or player that meets the criteria Roeder is looking for, but there is a growing possibility that the Newcastle boss will have to look at other alternatives.

"When you have had Alex Ferguson looking to find a new Alan Shearer and he hasn't found one then I would be stupid to think I can find one," said Roeder.

"But we need a striker who will score goals and someone who will be able to play with Michael Owen.

"We need a striker who can handle the pressure of following Alan Shearer at this club. There will not be too many youngsters who can handle that sort of pressure.

"Whoever we get has to have scored at the highest level. When it's not going well in front of goal he has to have good all-round play and live with the fact he isn't scoring. He will be a tough type of player who can score many goals."

Having spent the vast majority of Newcastle's cash for a new front-man on £16m Owen last summer, chairman Freddy Shepherd is reluctant to do the same again this time.

But, with Michael Chopra looking destined for Cardiff City, Roeder will only have Owen and Shola Ameobi as recognised strikers if Shearer's replacement is not found.

It's understandable, given the current dearth of options, that Roeder will monitor Owen's fitness closely over the the next five weeks.

Having only started ten games for the Magpies in his first season on Tyneside, there are question marks over whether he is fully fit ahead of the World Cup finals.

He will play some part against Jamaica at Old Trafford today and Roeder is hoping there are no further scares to that which arrived on Monday, when he had a precautionary scan on a thigh niggle.

There is an added pressure on the shoulders of Owen for his country while there are doubts surrounding the recovery rate of Wayne Rooney's broken metatarsal.

"Michael would not let England rely too heavily on him if he didn't feel right," said Roeder. "He is the most mature player I have ever come across.

"He is very sensible and he would not put himself at risk. If he did not feel he could get through a game he would not take that risk.

"When he plays he is 100 per cent sure he is right. I will keep in touch with Michael over the next few weeks. If I send him a text to see how he is, he is the type of person who gets straight back to you to tell you. He is an excellent professional and one of the best.

"It's uncomfortable for myself and for Newcastle fans to watch him when he is just coming back from injury, but I'm sure all of those fans, like myself, will want to see Michael play well and help England win the World Cup."

Knowing how long it took Owen to recover from his own metatarsal injury, sustained in the New Year's Eve defeat at Tottenham, Roeder also has a strong opinion on whether Rooney should go or not.

And, in a typically honest response, the Newcastle manager actually claims that the 19-year-old's absence could aid England's chances of glory in Germany.

"You have to believe we can win it otherwise there is no point in England going to the World Cup," said Roeder, who was part of the England set-up when Glenn Hoddle took his squad to the 1998 finals in France. "It's the best squad that has been put together for some time, probably ever.

"I doubt Wayne Rooney will be fit.

"If he doesn't make it I think it will be difficult for England but it will be difficult if he is fit. I do think that if Wayne Rooney doesn't play then England can use that to their advantage.

"All the players can turn that into a team spirit thing and say 'let's win the World Cup for Wayne'. The players who play will just have to play to their strengths and that could help England."