WITH England due to take on Italy in their second game of the European Under-21 Championships tonight, Sam Allardyce has backed Steven Taylor and James Milner to form the "backbone" of Newcastle's team next season.

The Magpies duo are both expected to feature in Arnhem this evening as Stuart Pearce's side look to build on Monday's goalless draw with the Czech Republic.

While Taylor and Milner were established members of the Newcastle first team under Glenn Roeder, Allardyce's arrival was supposed to herald their gradual retreat into the background at St James' Park.

But although the Magpies manager has been linked with a number of overseas names as he looks to continue a spending spree that has already seen Mark Viduka and Joey Barton arrive at St James' Park this summer, he insists there will always be a place for young English talent at the heart of his plans for Newcastle.

"I know plenty about Steven Taylor and James Milner and I'm looking forward to working with them," said Allardyce, who developed the likes of Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies and Nicky Hunt in his time at Bolton Wanderers.

"It's important that you have good young players coming through and they certainly fall into that bracket. They already have a lot of first-team experience because of the injury problems at Newcastle last season and that will undoubtedly help their development.

"In terms of being young and English, they are the backbone of the team and hopefully I can help their development and they can have long and successful careers at Newcastle."

Taylor was suspended for England's opening game of the European Championships, having been sent off in a previous Under-21 outing against Germany.

Milner's appearance against the Czech Republic was his 62nd of a marathon campaign and, while Blackburn boss Mark Hughes has been accused of prompting David Bentley's withdrawal from the squad, Allardyce is happy to see two of his most promising youngsters gaining valuable experience on the international stage.

"Playing in tournaments like this one helps young players and I'm sure they are enjoying it," he said.

"From what I've heard, England were a little unlucky in their first game against the Czech Republic, but hopefully they will still qualify from their group."

Allardyce is continuing to track a number of players as he looks to bolster Newcastle's squad ahead of the new campaign.

The United boss is ready to compete with Middlesbrough for the signature of Turkish midfielder Gokdeniz Karadeniz and continues to chase highly-rated Czech Republic international David Rozehnal.

Newcastle have tabled a £2m bid for Rozehnal but, with German side Borussia Dortmund understood to have offered Paris St Germain around £3m for the full-back, Allardyce may have to make an improved offer to sign one of his leading defensive targets. Israel international Tal Ben Haim is another - Allardyce is expected to make a formal approach to his former employee after he is married this weekend - but the Magpies manager will not be offering an olive branch to Spanish winger Albert Luque.

The £9.5m misfit was believed to have joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on a season-long loan at the end of last season, but sources in Holland now suggest that his move to the Philips Stadion is hanging in the balance.

After refusing to sign Luque in January because of his wage demands, PSV officials are reluctant to meet the Spaniard's latest requirements and their recent decision to sign both midielder Tommie van der Leegte and striker Danka Lazovic suggests that Luque's future could once again be uncertain.

The winger's father, who his also his agent, said: "We've tried to contact Allardyce to see what plans he has. But he has not spoken to us at all."

Sources in Newcastle suggest Allardyce has no intention of welcoming Luque back into the fold but, with the Spaniard contracted at St James' Park until 2010, it is difficult to see him moving anywhere unless the Magpies agree to pay a proportion of his wages.

* Newcastle have pencilled in home pre-season fixtures against Juventus (July 29) and Sampdoria (Aug 4) and an away game at Hull City (Aug 1), although all three are yet to be confirmed.