Papiss Demba Cisse - who is unwilling to wear a Wonga-branded jersey this coming season on religious grounds - wasn’t seen at the club’s Benton training ground on Monday.
Talks are ongoing with Cisse, a devout Muslim, and his representatives, but the situation is a delicate one, and the 28-year-old’s future at the club appears to be in the balance.
Cisse's agent has already told Pardew that he either plays his client in an out-and-out string position or he will look for a move.
And with Pardew saying two new strikers will arrive soon ... do you get the feeling Cisse's days on Tyneside are numbered.
As for the shirt situation, the player wants to wear a charity logo rather than Wonga.
Here's an idea - as Wonga are paying the players wages in their sponsorship deal - why not LET Cisse wear the Oxfam shirt, and let Oxfam pay his wages!
WE TELL IT AS IT IS - NO BULLSHIT!
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Only 5% Wanted Pardew - What's The Percentage Now? PLEASE VOTE
Mike Ashley stunned us all ... and I mean ALL ... when he sacked Chris Hughton and brought in Alan Pardew.
Apparently, Ashley knows Pardew from a London casino the pair used to visit, and the former West Ham boss talked his way into the job.
At the time the appointment was made, ourselves (NU-MAD) and the Chronicle held a poll to ask the Newcastle fans if they were happy with the new manager.
Both polls showed only 5% of Toon fans were happy, and if the truth was known, I'd say 3% of those were Mackems gatecrashing the voting!
So ... with Pardew two and half years into the job ... has he turned the voting around? Has he won you over?
We were still in the relegation dog-fight until Swansea won at Wigan a week before the season ended, and there was growing concern after heavy home defeats to Sunderland and Liverpool.
Pardew gave his excuses, saying his squad was "wafer thin and too small to tackle a long season".
Yet on Thursday - having lost Steve Harper, Danny Simpson, James Perch and Dan Gosling on the way to Crystal Palace (FOUR PLAYERS LESS) he said: "I'm not too concerned because we have a big squad".
Confused? We certainly were.
So click the button - PLEASE VOTE.
Is he the man for the job ... or not?
VOTE HERE ....
http://www.newcastleunited-mad.co.uk/interactive/voting_polls.asp