By Elliot Ball Last updated: 13th January 2009
Kinnear: No sale policy
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear is even more determined to hang on to his best players as a new injury crisis grips the club.
The 62-year-old has spent the fortnight since the January transfer window opened fending off speculation that the likes of Michael Owen, Shay Given, Charles N'Zogbia, Joey Barton and Alan Smith could be sold.
Kinnear heads into Wednesday's FA Cup third-round replay with Hull with 11 key men confined to the treatment room and the Toon boss is even more insistent that there will be no high-profile departures from St James' Park this month.
The former Wimbledon manager also revealed the club is in advanced discussions with two unidentified players - one Italian and the other Argentinian - over loan deals.
Asked about the rumours surrounding Given, Barton and N'Zogbia, he said: "None of those (will leave), no. That's been ongoing for ages.
"We are just in a position where we have got 11 key players missing, so it is impossible for me to even think about selling anybody else.
"We would only weaken our team and weaken our opportunities of survival."
The Magpies boss, however, did admit he could be prepared to allow some of his fringe players to leave, allowing him to make a move on one of his own targets.
Kinnear said: "We have got a meeting this evening to talk about the situation and how far down the road we are.
"We have got one or two fringe players who we have had offers for, reasonable offers, so I might consider letting them go, and if that money does come in - which will amount to about £4.5million - from them, I will be in a position to get the player I want."
Kinnear hopes to sign up Denmark international winger Peter Lovenkrands, who began a trial on Tyneside on Monday, until the end of the season on Friday, while he confirmed substantial loan fees have been agreed for two overseas players.
He said: "They are international players. One is Italian, the other is Argentinian.
"The fact is that they are not actually playing in their current sides. They are fringe players, but they have got a lot of experience, which we need at the moment.
"We have had some positive vibes from their agents that they are keen to come and join us.
"But they are expensive and we have just got to sort out the finances."
Kinnear admitted as the winter window opened that he hopes to recruit as many as four or five new players, and events since have simply increased his needs.
Andy Carroll, Obafemi Martins, Shola Ameobi, Mark Viduka, Smith, Barton, Steven Taylor, Habib Beye, Claudio Cacapa, Jose Enrique and Geremi will all miss Wednesday's game.
When asked if even more players than first thought could arrive in the coming weeks, Kinnear said: "That's a possibility because of the crisis we find ourselves in now - and I think it is a must as well.
"I have explained that to the owner and to the managing director and to be honest, fingers crossed, I am hoping, without tempting fate, the answer will be 'Yes'."

Fulham 3-0 Burnley - Hodgson
Fulham 3-0 Burnley - Laws
Man City 2-0 Bolton - Johnson and Vieira
Portsmouth 1-1 Sunderland - Bruce
Wigan 1-1 Stoke - Martinez
Portsmouth 1-1 Sunderland - James
Portsmouth 1-1 Sunderland - Grant
Wigan 1-1 Stoke - Scharner
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Wednesday 10th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Arsenal vs Liverpool |
| 19:45 | Aston Villa vs Man Utd |
| 19:45 | West Ham vs Birmingham |
| 19:45 | Wolverhampton vs Tottenham |
| 20:00 | Blackburn vs Hull |
| 20:00 | Everton vs Chelsea |
| Tuesday 16th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 19:45 | Stoke vs Man City |
| Wednesday 17th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Wigan vs Bolton |
| Saturday 20th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Everton vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | Arsenal vs Sunderland |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Wolverhampton vs Chelsea |
| 17:30 | Portsmouth vs Stoke |
| Sunday 21st February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 14:00 | Aston Villa vs Burnley |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Birmingham |
| 15:00 | Man City vs Liverpool |
| 16:15 | Wigan vs Tottenham |
| Monday 22nd February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Blackburn vs Bolton |
| Tuesday 23rd February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Man Utd vs West Ham |
| Saturday 27th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Chelsea vs Man City |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 9th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man City 2 - 0 Bolton | |
| Wigan 1 - 1 Stoke | |
| Portsmouth 1 - 1 Sunderland | |
| Fulham 3 - 0 Burnley | |
| Sunday 7th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Birmingham 2 - 1 Wolverhampton | |
| Chelsea 2 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Saturday 6th February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Liverpool 1 - 0 Everton | |
| Hull 2 - 1 Man City | |
| Stoke 3 - 0 Blackburn | |
| Bolton 0 - 0 Fulham | |
| Sunderland 1 - 1 Wigan | |
| Man Utd 5 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Burnley 2 - 1 West Ham | |
| Tottenham 0 - 0 Aston Villa | |
| Wednesday 3rd February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Fulham 1 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Tuesday 2nd February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Hull 1 - 1 Chelsea | |
| Monday 1st February | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 0 - 0 Stoke | |
| Sunday 31st January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man City 2 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Arsenal 1 - 3 Man Utd | |
| Saturday 30th January | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Birmingham 1 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 25 | 58 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 25 | 56 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 25 | 49 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 25 | 44 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 24 | 44 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 25 | 43 |
| 7 | Aston Villa | 24 | 41 |
| 8 | Birmingham City | 24 | 37 |
| 9 | Fulham | 26 | 34 |
| 10 | Everton | 24 | 32 |
| 11 | Stoke City | 24 | 30 |
| 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 25 | 28 |
| 13 | Sunderland | 25 | 26 |
| 14 | Wigan Athletic | 24 | 24 |
| 15 | Hull City | 25 | 24 |
| 16 | Burnley | 25 | 23 |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers | 24 | 22 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 24 | 21 |
| 19 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 24 | 21 |
| 20 | Portsmouth | 25 | 16 |
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