NOLBERTO SOLANO faced a worrying wait at passport control yesterday before being allowed into France to play in Newcastle United's Intertoto Cup final first leg against Troyes.

The Peruvian international was held up by gendarmes for nearly five minutes at Chalon Airport while his travel documents came under scrutiny.

It followed renewed claims that 26-year-old Solano could be deported from the UK if immigration officials uncover irregularities in the Greek passport he was granted through his grandmother's place of birth.

The £10m-rated winger yesterday told pressmen he was in the clear before being interrupted by Newcastle manager Bobby Robson, who snapped: "I don't want you answering questions about your passport."

Solano, United's top scorer in the Intertoto competition with three goals, had said: "I'm surprised this has come up again. I'm happy that I've done nothing wrong. I'm not worried.

"I've not been interviewed about my documentation. I'm prepared to leave it to the club to sort it out. They will tell me the situation when they know it.

"I won't let it affect my football. I am just concentrating on this Intertoto game."

Newcastle officials refused to discuss the Solano situation. "We won't give credence to the story by making a comment," said a spokesman.

United's Greek defender Nikos Dabizas was delayed even longer while his passport was checked, but Solano was the major concern for Robson, who is already embroiled in controversy ahead of tonight's game.

A frustrated Robson has called for clemency from UEFA over the timing of the return leg at St. James' Park.

Europe's ruling body is insisting that the game goes ahead little more than 48 hours after United open their Premiership campaign at Chelsea a week on Sunday.

Robson fears the stamina-sapping schedule could seriously jeopardise his side's chances of qualifying for the first round of the UEFA Cup, the lucrative prize awaiting the Intertoto winners, and is asking that the second leg be put back a day to Wednesday, August 22.

"I'm appealing to UEFA to give us a break,'' said Robson. "We are playing to get into Europe and I'm hoping the powers-that-be will give us an extra day to recover from the Chelsea game.

"It'll be laughable if we have to play on Sunday and Tuesday with so much at stake."

UEFA maintain the return game with Troyes must be played on the Tuesday night because of a European lottery which works on Intertoto results.

Robson, meanwhile, has ordered Newcastle starlet Shola Ameobi to play with a smile on his face and stay in referees' good books.

The England Under-21 striker has been cautioned twice in Intertoto games this summer, once for kicking the ball away, and Robson has told the 19-year-old to curb his temper to promote his career.

"I've told him to smile at the referee and show him his teeth," said Robson.

"Shola is going to be a big player in four years' time and he has exceptional talent.

"But he has been a bit childish and he can't behave like that. If my father had seen me kick the ball away when I was Shola's age, he would have tanked me."

Newcastle's participation in the Intertoto has been criticised, but Robson said his players were revelling in the experience.

"We already had a very good pre-season lined up, but this has worked very well for us," he said.

"However, if I hadn't thought we had a chance we wouldn't have joined in. I would have said to our chairman (Freddy Shepherd): 'Forget it, don't play for failure.' But we are in better shape than we were when we started, and we'll be in better shape again for the second leg."

l Alan Shearer has been given the green light to step up his comeback bid at Newcastle following a specialist's all-clear, writes JACK LESLIE.

Shearer got the news yesterday after a visit to famous knee specialist Dr Richard Steadman in Paris.

Boss Bobby Robson warned last week that 30-year-old Shearer faced a 'make or break' return following major knee surgery last season.

But all the indications now suggest that the former England skipper will be fit to return for the Geordies against derby rivals Middlesbrough on September 8.

Robson said: "It's wonderful news. The specialist has told Alan that he's delighted with his progress and has given him the go-ahead to join in with the other players.

"He has been told not to do anything daft but just to continue making progress.

"Alan is delighted and quite excited."

Shearer has been aware for six months that rumours have been circulating that his career is finished.

But Robson warned: "We might have a mean machine on our hands in a month's time."

* Newcastle centre-back David Beharall is on trial with Grimsby. Mariners' former Middlesbrough manager Lennie Lawrence, who is also understood to be interested in Sunderland winger John Oster, confirmed: "We're having a look at Beharall with a view to a loan.'

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