Sam Allardyce has reaffirmed his stand that Steve Harper is Newcastle United's current first-choice goalkeeper.

The Newcastle manager said: "I chose Shay (Given) on Tuesday but in reverse I would have picked Steven Harper for the Arsenal game if Shay had been playing regularly in the Premiership.

"When you have got two outstanding goalkeepers the hardest part of the job is keeping one happy when one is not playing and the other one is in the team. That is the hardest part of management but to have two such outstanding keepers is also comforting.

"Will Shay be happy on the bench? He cannot be. Impossible. Steve Harper is slightly better at it but it is not about making a decision based on who will create more problems for me. It is all about what you think is the right thing, or the right goalkeeper, for that particular time."