Obafemi Martins insists there's no rift with Newcastle United boss Alan Shearer after his late withdrawal from their clash at Stoke.

"I understand why the manager was frustrated because he had to change his plans," said Martins. "But I woke up in so much pain that I knew I could not give 100%, so I decided I couldn't play.

"I didn't want to let the team down. And, with so many important games coming up, I needed to think about staying fit for the future."