THE international break may have been an unwelcome distraction from Newcastle's unbeaten start to the season, but manager Alan Pardew insists his side have come back eager to pick up where they left off.

The Magpies go into tomorrow's game with Tottenham looking to continue the impressive start of seven games without defeat - a run that has lifted Pardew's men up to fourth in the Premier League table.

As well as waiting anxiously for the bulk of his squad to return from international duty unscathed, Pardew admits he was worried what mood his players would come back in.

But he insists everyone is focused on maintaining their encouraging start.

He said: "I think sometimes when you have an international break, you worry about injuries in particular, but also you worry about the mood of players.

"Sometimes they go away with their international teams then come back having had an amazing experience, or it has gone very very well and they come back with a little swagger or whatever.

"When our players came back a couple of them had knocks, but most looked as if they were looking forward to coming back.

"We have no excuses, no injuries. So we go into the game in really good fettle," especially after some excellent work on the training ground,

The mood around the Benton training ground has been extremely upbeat but Pardew has warned his players not to get carried away by their early-season form.

So far, the Magpies boss feels his players have handled their unexpected position with the right attitude but insists any sign of complacency will be quickly addressed.

"From my side, you look at your staff and you look at your players and there is a pride at what we have done so far but that's all," Pardew said.

"It is really just about the next game. We have had a chat collectively about the attention we've had these last couple of weeks, stressing that we don't act smug and don't get carried away with it.

"There is a part of you that has to watch that but you like to think the standards you set on the training ground look after that.

"We don't let anyone drift around in training or think that they have arrived. If you keep on top of that, it keeps everything in check.

"Looking at the players today, there was none of that going on. There is a competitiveness to play. It's the first training day that everyone has been back.

"But while they have been away, Ben Arfa and Marveaux have been very good, as if to say ‘I'll show you' and there's a bit of that going on today. It's good.

"It is very much hard work and honesty that has got us where we are. That sounds a bit boring but it is the truth."

One player Pardew is relieved to have fit to face Harry Redknapp's side is Yohan Cabaye. The French midfielder gave the boss a scare when he picked up an ankle knock while playing against Albania for France, but he will start tomorrow, as will striker Demba Ba.

The former Lille man has been a revelation since arriving at St James' Park in the summer and while Pardew admits it only took one game to convince him to buy the midfielder, he insists there is still more to come from the 25-year-old.

He said: "It only took one game (Lille v Lyon) to watch him. We had obviously done a lot of scouting prior to that.

"He was very much in our sights before I arrived, mainly from Graham Carr. But when I saw him just that once, and looked at his stats, I thought ‘this is a player and we will be very fortunate to sign him'. And he has reinforced that.

"He has had a couple of disappointing games so I don't think you can yet put that tag (signing of the season) on him at all. He has taken a little bit of adjusting to the Premier League, especially against the aggressive teams, those that are in your face like Wolves and Sunderland.

"This is a different type of game and I think Spurs is a good game for him and one he will do well in. Spurs are not that type of team. They will let you have possession and if you give him possession, he is going to hurt you."