Newcastle United keeper Shay Given jets to Belgium on Friday determined to finally sort out his niggling groin problems.

And before leaving, the 31-year-old keeper insisted: "All this stop-start business is no good, and I know that we have got to get to the bottom of all this.

"At this moment I cannot say when I will be back in action, but obviously I want to play again as soon as possible.

"This is a terrible time for me to be on the sidelines."

Given has always been reluctant to admit that the horrific injury he sustained in a clash with Marlon Harewood at West Ham in September 2006, which resulted in him having an operation for a perforated bowel, was the reason for his seemingly never-ending groin problems.

But he told the Evening Chronicle: "It's not rocket science to link what has happened to me with what happened down at Upton Park the season before last.

"However, the frustrating thing for me is that before then I had never had a groin injury or problems in this area throughout my whole career."