Newcastle have sold rebel full back Didier Domi back to Paris St Germain in a £3m deal, ending one of the messiest transfer sagas for years.

Newcastle yesterday confirmed they had agreed terms for the left back, who joined from PSG for £4m over two years ago.

Domi went AWOL on December 19 and refused to return to Tyneside. The club threatened to freeze him out of football but they have now relented and agreed to the move.

Robson admitted the sale was "tinged with disappointment." He said: "It's a shame because the lad is a real player and I still don't know what his problem was.

"He has the talent to become a French international and we tried to bring that out of him here. But it was a messy situation."

Domi was a Muslim and has claimed he was driven out by the hatred of fans and an unsympathetic press. But Newcastle have unequivocally denied that was the case.

Robson will get the cash from the sale and looks certain to use part of it to buy £1.5m wingback Wayne Quinn, currently on loan from Sheffield United.

"I'll get that money because we need to replace Domi," he said. "We are still looking and we still have to decide on Quinn. But he has a chance at Leeds to show what he can do. It's a big test and he has everything to play for."

Alan Shearer has delivered the best 'get well' note Robson could wish for by predicting "I'll be back in a month."

Shearer personally handed the surprise message to Robson's secretary following the midweek FA Cup exit at Aston Villa.

The former England skipper was not expected to return for the under-strength Geordies before the end of March following knee surgery.

But he has lopped a staggering four weeks off his comeback date and now expects to play against Manchester City on February 24.

Robson could do with a tonic after struggling for weeks with an understrength team. Now at last he can plan the return of the £20m strike force of Shearer and Carl Cort.

The Newcastle boss revealed: "Alan left a message with my secretary. He said 'don't be downhearted. Keep your head up. I'll be back in a month.'

"It was a nice touch from a captain to his manager. He knew how disappointed I'd be to have gone out of the cup in the third round in my first full season at the club.

"He's a remarkable person. We were told not to think about him for three months and now he's talking about coming back in eight weeks.

"It's amazing how he and Ruud Gullit didn't get on. Ruud was a great player himself. But I find Alan like a breath of fresh air.

"Alan was troubled with his knee before Euro 2000 and it did get him down. Now he has no pain. He's running and swimming and it has given him a huge lift. He'll help motivate Carl Cort as well because the pair of them are getting fit together."

Cort hasn't played for four months and Newcastle will be without the duo again at Leeds today.

Suspended Kieron Dyer is also missing and Newcastle now anxiously await the results of more tests on his damaged shin in the hope that the England midfielder does not face a lengthy lay-off.

"He'll see the specialist on Monday and we'll issue a bulletin as to whether he can recommence training or whether he has a problem," said Robson.

"We need to find out whether he can play at Chelsea at the end of this month or whether he'll be out for the longer term."

That would also cut across the plans of new England coach Sven Goran Eriksson, who has pencilled in Dyer for the friendly with Spain on February 28.

Better news for Robson is that Nolberto Solano returns from suspension and Robert Lee is fit again.

Gary Speed has a fitness test on his damaged calf this morning and that could determine whether Lee makes a comeback at Elland Road. Newcastle haven't won an away League game in Dyer's absence since they beat Leicester at Filbert Street in December 1999. And the odds look to be against them breaking that grim sequence today.