MARTIN O'NEILL is perplexed by Newcastle United's stance on Rob Elliot ahead of the Republic of Ireland's European Championship play-off on Friday.

Elliot, nursing a thigh injury, was called up by O'Neill to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Friday, and is being assessed by a specialist to ensure he is fit to play.

The 29-year-old suffered a slight recurrence of an old thigh injury in the 0-0 draw with Stoke City last weekend, and was a doubt for the Magpies' trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

However, he played the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet, helping his side to a 1-0 win on the South Coast.

Newcastle manager Steve McClaren, when asked whether Elliot would be travelling with O'Neill's squad, said on Saturday: “I hope not, and I don’t think so. He’s the man in goal at the moment, and we want to wrap him in cotton wool and try to get him out for the next game.

“He was so positive from Monday because we were wondering what to do. He was so positive to play that we gave him every chance, every opportunity, and on Friday he trained well. I thought he was excellent.”

But O'Neill, without first-choice goalkeeper Shay Given through injury, is of the opinion that if Elliot is injured, he should not have featured at Dean Court on Saturday.

"I find this one a wee bit strange when Rob actually played the game and was man of the match," said O'Neill. "He is being assessed by a specialist again today (Monday) and we will get an update with him either later on this evening or maybe tomorrow morning."

Meanwhile, Siem de Jong will consider his future at Newcastle if McClaren continues to overlook him.

The attacking midfielder recovered from a collapsed lung and played a prominent role in pre-season, but has found Premier League action hard to come by, restricted only to substitute appearances so far this season.

The 26-year-old requested to play in last week’s under-21 win over Aston Villa in a bid to prove his fitness to the club, and while club officials are understood to be keen on the former Ajax man, he simply finds himself down the pecking order behind countryman Gini Wijnaldum for the number 10 role.

"It's a difficult situation. For me it is important to play matches. I will discuss in the coming period with the club which is best. If they think they will not be playing me at this time, I will have to look elsewhere,” said De Jong, in an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS.

“It crosses my mind at times to return to the Netherlands, but I will do my utmost and give my best to succeed here. And club officials have intimated they want me to stay.”

“If things don’t go my way, a return to Holland is certainly an option. I have always loved life in my own country.”

Where De Jong cuts a frustrated figure on the sidelines, Wijnaldum is flourishing on Tyneside since his summer move from PSV Eindhoven.

The midfielder turned his back on Champions League football to sign for Newcastle, but Wijnaldum feels that the standard in the Premier League is the same as it is in European competition.

"It is my type of game here. You need to be constantly moving, making a lot of runs. I can do that,” said Wijnaldum.

"I make decisions on feelings and my feeling said: Gini, you must now take the next step for myself - I now play Champions League every week because the level is much higher here, and that fits in with my ambition."

Newcastle striker Ivan Toney has joined League One side Barnsley on a 28-day youth loan.