BRUGGE MUST contend with two Ameobis in the Europa League at St James’ Park tonight. The brothers, Shola and Sammy, are poised to become the third pair of siblings to start a competitive first-team game for Newcastle United since George and Ted Robledo in the 1950s and Matty and Richard Appleby during the 1990s.

While Shola has been part of the club’s senior striking rota since Bobby Robson’s days in charge, Sammy, the junior by a decade, is now striving to emulate him. At 31-years-old the former serves as a role model for his similarly attack-minded but positionally more versatile sibling who can operate either as a deep-lying forward or wide midfielder.

“I’m sure he’s well aware of how hard it’s going to be and what he has to put in to make it to the very top,” said Shola.

Pardew believes both the junior Ameobi and Shane Ferguson, pencilled in to start at left-back, can break into the first team. “It’s a big game for Sammy and Shane,” said Pardew. “I hope to see two fine performances from them.”

Newcastle’s manager is delighted that Xisco, very much the club’s forgotten striker, scored a hat-trick in a reserve win over Stoke this week but will not involve the former Spain Under-21 striker against Brugge. Xisco’s arrival prompted Kevin Keegan’s exit as manager. Unwanted by Keegan’s successors, Xisco has been loaned to Racing Santander and Deportivo but is now trying to finally make it on Tyneside.

“For the first time since I’ve been here Xisco has shown some signs of life,” said Pardew, who plans to rest several established players. However, the alarmingly foul-prone Cheik Tiote, poised to begin a three-game domestic suspension soon following his sending off at Sunderland on Sunday, is not among them.

“Cheik will face Brugge,” said Pardew. “I’ve spoken to him about his disciplinary record and his responsibility to Newcastle. I think he responded well.”