SIR BOBBY ROBSON yesterday admitted he experienced a worrying feeling of dj vu when Hugo Viana suffered the dislocated shoulder which rules him out for several weeks and deals another blow to Newcastle United's Champions League campaign.

The Portuguese playmaker had been earmarked as a replacement for the suspended Gary Speed in today's Premiership game at Aston Villa.

Instead, Viana yesterday flew back to Portugal for a second opinion on the extent of the injury he sustained in a training ground collision with goalkeeper John Karelse.

For former England manager Robson, the incident evoked painful memories of the dislocated shoulder which cut short Bryan Robson's involvement in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.

England lost their talismanic skipper and most influential player in only the second game of the tournament.

Now Sir Bobby fears for Viana, in whom United invested £8.5m in the summer when he arrived from Sporting Lisbon.

The United boss said: "Sadly, distressingly, depressingly, Hugo has semi-dislocated a shoulder. He's had a scan, seen the specialist and I'm afraid it's going to be several weeks before he's back.

"Maybe at the end of the season he will have it pinned. The surgeon says that, if we do that now, he'll be out for a few months anyway - Brian Kerr had a similar problem here and he was out for four months.

"Hopefully, Hugo's shoulder won't pop out again. If it does, then at some stage this season we will have to pin it.

"I remember the Bryan Robson scenario in the World Cup when we had to send him home in the end to get his shoulder pinned.

"I asked Ron Atkinson at Manchester United, in the February of '86, if Bryan could have it done and he said: 'No, we're going to soldier on with him because we think we can win the League and he's vital to us.' I couldn't argue with him, but I wanted Bryan fit for that summer and the World Cup.

"The shoulder popped out once before the end of that season and it popped out again when England played Mexico in Los Angeles. We kept that quiet and then he played in the World Cup against Portugal and was fine before it popped out against Morocco - and that was it.

"The danger is, once it pops out, you can be just putting your coat on and it can pop out again.

"Hugo has got his arm in a sling. The kid asked me if he could get a second opinion in Portugal and we've allowed him to go.

"I know the guy he's seeing there from my time in Portugal - he's top class.

"It's a blow for Hugo because he's been desperate to get in the side.

"He's only 19, but he knows how to keep the ball - and he sees a special pass. I brought him on for Gary Speed late on against Everton last Sunday.

"It's just as well Laurent Robert is fit again after his fractured cheekbone - otherwise we would have had a real problem.''

Newcastle will now be without three key players when they head for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

Skipper Alan Shearer and strike partner Craig Bellamy are banned, but Robson yesterday insisted it scarcely crossed his mind to leave the duo out today in order to prepare a reshaped side for the Barca challenge.

"It only flashed through my mind for a second or two,'' said Robson.

"The fact is we need to improve our away form if we're going to try to finish fourth again - or higher. We have to start winning away from home.

"With Chelsea being the in-form side, even more so than Arsenal, we have a fight on our hands to finish in the top six.

"We have to pick up an abundance of points away from home. This game coincides with Aston Villa hitting improved form.

"The pressure is off Graham Taylor there - and I'm pleased about that.

"It's not in my mind to leave Alan and Craig out so that we can prepare for Barcelona. We'll do that after the Villa game.

"We have to get the best out of Alan and Craig against Villa, because there's no need for them to hang back for Tuesday.

"They have to give us the lot - and I know they will.''

Robson hinted that injury-plagued striker Carl Cort could figure against Barca.

"He's not in the squad for Villa, but he'll be going to Barcelona,'' said Robson. He's got his rhythm and co-ordination back. He had a terrible hamstring injury and then his knee went, but now he's looking like he did when he first came here.''

* Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given is today set to make his 200th appearance for the club in all competitions.

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