The midfielder has started just 12 Premiership games since his £8.5million move from Sporting Lisbon at the beginning of last season, with a combination of the injuries and the form of others keeping him sidelined.
"This season it is obviously very important for me to play more games because I desperately want to go to Euro 2004," Viana is reported to have told Sky Sports.
"I have got to make it to the squad in Portugal before it begins. My chance depends on breaking through at Newcastle.
"But look at the size of the squad here. I will keep working hard for it but everyone knows if I don't get into the team here I'll not be in the international squad and that will be hard to take."
If Viana wants to play in the team regularly he’ll have to show a lot more than he has done on his limited opportunities so far, when his occasionally brilliant passing has failed to compensate for his lack of pace, fitness and tackling.
While his comments may well have been taken slightly out of context, you have to wonder about the commitment of a player who seems to only want to play for us in order to secure his place in the Portugal squad.