WITH Alan Shearer and Michael Owen in their forward line, Newcastle already boast the faces of England past and present. When Charlton visit St James' Park this evening, the Magpies will be reminded of how close they came to signing the face of England future as well.

In 2003, with Ipswich Town entering voluntary administration, Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd attempted to sign both Darren Bent and Darren Ambrose in a cut-price double deal.

His £2.5m offer was rejected and, while Ambrose arrived on Tyneside later that summer, Sir Bobby Robson's long-time pursuit of Bent never came to fruition.

Despite sending a legion of scouts to Suffolk, Robson was unable to prise the 22-year-old from Portman Road. When he was eventually sold for £2.5m last year, Robson had departed and his successor, Graeme Souness, was already looking elsewhere.

Bent has gone on to score 17 goals in just 29 starts for Charlton this season, a record that could yet earn him a place in England's World Cup squad. Newcastle, meanwhile, will start a desperate search for Shearer's successor this summer, no doubt wondering about what might have been.

"Darren is an excellent young player," said caretaker manager Glenn Roeder, a man who watched Bent extensively last season in his scouting role for England's Under-21s. "I've seen him get better and better as time has gone on.

"He has done a fantastic job for Charlton and I'm not surprised. He's an excellent young player and he's still improving.

"He plays right up on the shoulder of the defender and he wants to run into the grass behind all the time. He's comfortable with coming short and securing the ball, and he's even happier running the other way.

"I'm sure he will play for England one day, or at least as sure as you can be. Having watched him so many times last year, I can't see anything to suggest he hasn't got the ability to be capped by England. And more than just once."

While Robson saw Bent as an investment for the future, Roeder could have done with him this evening as he struggles to assemble a strikeforce ahead of a game that could see United shoot up to 12th in the table.

Shearer missed Saturday's FA Cup win over Southampton with a calf injury and, while the skipper is back in light training, he is unlikely to be risked tonight.

That places immense pressure on Kieron Dyer, with the injury-plagued midfielder likely to follow a five-month lay-off with his second start in just five days.

"Alan has to be a doubt," said Roeder. "We will leave it as late as possible, but we won't take any risks. I keep trying to emphasise that patience is the most important thing to have, even at times when you don't want to have it.

"With injuries, you must show patience because if you send them out when they are not fully fit, they will break down and have to come off before the final whistle. Alan is so important to the team that we won't take that risk.

"Kieron rested on Monday to make sure he makes a full recovery for this game. He was very tired on Sunday , but that's only natural for someone who has gone more than five months without a start in the Premiership. But if he doesn't make a full recovery, I won't be pushing him out there and forcing him to start the game."

Owen completes a triumvirate of less-than-fully-fit strikers, although there are hopes the former Liverpool and Real Madrid frontman could be fit for next month's FA Cup quarter-final with Chelsea.

After breaking his metatarsal on New Year's Eve, Owen's comeback date was originally pencilled in for early April.

He is marginally ahead of schedule though and, with Monday's draw having given Newcastle the toughest possible task, he could yet give the Magpies a timely boost ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge.

"He will be touch and go for Chelsea," said Roeder. "I can't give a more accurate assessment at this time because he's not doing enough in training yet. He has only just started jogging, but he's pleased with the amount of jogging he's doing.

"He is pain free and it's healing really well. It would be absolutely foolhardy for him to think about coming back a couple of weeks too soon but, if we could get him back for the final month of the season, it would be what every England fan wants ahead of the World Cup."

This summer's tournament will mark the end of Sven Goran Eriksson's reign as England boss and, this evening, Roeder will pit his wits against one of the men being touted as a leading contender to replace the Swede.

Alan Curbishley is generally regarded as one of the new breed of young English managers hoping to make their mark on the international scene, but Roeder feels such a description does the Charlton boss a great disservice.

It is almost 15 years since Curbishley took charge at the Valley and Newcastle's stand-in boss is confident he has both the experience and the ability to take over from Eriksson this summer.

"I think he has shown the qualities," said Roeder. "He is a long surviving manager working in the Premiership. He has had a relegation and has brought the team back up. He has had to work with a tight budget and has had to learn to be a manager.

"Alf Ramsey came from a smaller club (Ipswich) and went on to become our most successful manager when he won the World Cup.

"Would Alan get my vote? I don't get a vote. I'm not on that board. But I do believe the committee will seriously consider him and it's right that they do."

* Newcastle youngster Daryl Smylie has joined League Two strugglers Stockport County on a month's loan