OLIVIER BERNARD has vowed Newcastle United will rise above the "hatred" engulfing tomorrow's Wear-Tyne derby to revive their Champions League hopes.

With the Magpies needing to win their final three fixtures to guarantee their place at European football's top table next season, Bernard is adamant their visit to the Stadium of Light is the perfect opportunity to return to form.

He said: "We know how important this game is to the supporters and we all know that the teams hate each other.

"We know Sunderland will be fired up on Saturday, but we'll be fired up as well and we won't let the feeling about the game affect us.

"I understand what it means to the fans to beat Sunderland, but as a player you have to approach it in the same way as you approach the other games.

"Games against the local rivals are always special and this one is no different, even though Sunderland have already been relegated.

"It won't matter to them that they're down; they'll be battling for the points because they'll want to stop us getting into the Champions League.

"We need as many points as possible from our last three games to qualify for the Champions League, and hopefully we'll get three on Saturday.

"We've had a bad run in losing our last three games, but we have to forget that now and everyone must focus on Sunderland."

Alan Shearer has admitted he will feel "a prat" when he leads Newcastle into derby battle at the Stadium of Light.

Shearer will have protective strapping on his broken knuckle as well as a head bandage after he was hurt in Monday's draw with Aston Villa.

He said: "I'll feel a bit of a prat on Saturday but there's no other way around it.

"But I felt a bit better after people reminded me that I also wore a bandage around a head wound when we played Sunderland at St James' Park and I scored."

Jonathan Woodgate, who would make his Wear-Tyne derby debut if he played tomorrow, is very doubtful with a hamstring injury.

* Newcastle defender Joe Kendrick, who recently trained with Hartlepool United after being told he would not be given a new contract this summer, is on trial with 1860 Munich. The Republic of Ireland Under-20 international is also interesting Sheffield United.

* New signing Darren Ambrose hit a superb debut goal for Newcastle before Manchester United's young guns turned the tables to grab the points in a 2-1 win at St James' Park last night.

Ambrose volleyed a 30th minute shot in off the bar from the edge of the area after Carl Cort's knockdown.

But Newcastle then pressed the self-destruct button when they handed the Red Devils a soft equaliser moments before half-time.

Captain Bradley Orr allowed the ball to run away from him on the edge of his own box and centre-forward Colin Heath nipped in to drive a low shot past Steve Harper.

Newcastle, perhaps with tomorrow's Premiership derby at Sunderland in mind, replaced Ambrose as well as midfielder Brian Kerr at the break.

But with right-back Stephen Brennan off with a hamstring injury from the 34th minute, Newcastle were left with only ten men when striker Cort also went off with a hamstring in the 70th minute.

Less than a minute later Heath drove Manchester United's second goal through a ruck of players in a goalmouth scramble.

And although Michael Chopra and Steven Taylor went close in the dying moments, the visitors held on for victory.

NEWCASTLE: Harper, Brennan (Webster 34), Cave, Carr, Taylor, Orr, Ambrose (Beamont 45), Kerr (Guy 45), Cort, Chopra, Quinn. Subs (not used): Zola Makongo, Bartlett.

MANCHESTER UNITED: B Williams, Lynch, Hilton, Roche, Pugh, Fox, Byrne (Eckersley 77), Fletcher, Heath, M Williams, Mooniaruck. Subs (not used): Flanagan, Jowsey, Nevins.

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