OLIVIER Bernard is looking forward to an impromptu bonding session on the team bus this afternoon as Newcastle's injury-ravaged squad get to know each other ahead of their Premiership opener with North-East rivals Middlesbrough.

The Magpies have endured a nightmare run-up to this evening's Riverside clash after a conjunctivitus virus infected five senior professionals and decimated their plans.

Newcastle's Darsley Park training ground has been closed all week, with the club's players forced to train in isolation and drive home before getting changed or showered.

Contact has been kept to a minimum, meaning that the rest of the United squad have still to formally greet new signing Stephen Carr.

Nicky Butt has also had limited opportunity to familiarise himself with his new team-mates ahead of tonight's eagerly-awaited derby.

But, with the Premier League insisting that this evening's game will go ahead, Newcastle officials are resigned to abandoning their policy of isolation.

The club's players will make the short trip down the A19 as normal this afternoon, and use the journey for an unorthodox get-together.

"We're going together on the bus because I think, now, the virus should be out of the way," said Bernard, who will form a makeshift back four with fellow full-backs Carr, Aaron Hughes and Robbie Elliott. "Now it's time for us to get together and concentrate on the game.

"We haven't been able to get together properly this week because we haven't wanted to pass the virus on to each other.

"We've had a very brief talk about team shape, but we haven't really been able to spend a lot of time together.

"The training has been a bit of everything but, as soon as we finished, we had to go back home to get a shower.

"We haven't really been able to get to know Nicky or Stephen, but next week we will be coming back as normal."

Shay Given and Laurent Robert are available this evening after recovering from their eye infections, but Newcastle will still be without seven first-team players as they look to defend a fine Riverside record that has seen them lose just one Premiership game on Teesside.

Shola Ameobi's strike earned the Magpies a 1-0 win last season - one of just two away successes in the whole of the campaign - and, despite this week's multiple withdrawals, Bernard is confident his side have enough strength to start the season with a bang.

"I don't think Middlesbrough will be expecting an easy game because we've still got a pretty good squad," said the 24-year-old.

"If we haven't got players like (Jonathan) Woodgate, (Titus) Bramble or (Andy) O'Brien then we still have new signings we can bring in. We're still competitive.

"We've got a big enough squad to be able to play the game against Middlesbrough. The game is still on and we have to win that game."

This evening's clash will see Bernard return to his past as he lines up against one of his former team-mates from youth football in France.

The flamboyant full-back spent his formative years playing in a Paris-based youth team that also included Boro left-back Franck Queudrue.

The pair lived in close proximity throughout their adolescent years, but now find themselves vying for international honours after France's disastrous showing at Euro 2004.

Bernard was named in new boss Raymond Domenech's first provisional squad, only to be omitted at the final cut, but admits that Queudrue will provide stern competition on the international stage.

"We know each other quite well, and I also played with Joseph-Desire Job at Lyon. Franck is a good player and, if he keeps progressing in the way that he has, he might get a call-up into the French squad. I'll just have to be better than him."