That would see Ameobi miss the FA Cup Third Round and games against promotion rivals West Brom at home and a trip to Leicester City are coming up in January.
Hughton: “It’s one that that I intend to talk to Shola about very soon. I was only just made aware of it today.
“I will see what is thoughts are.
“My only concern at this moment is to make sure he is fit for Newcastle.
“We need him as soon as possible because he’s missed three months now after a really good start to the season. I want to see him producing for Newcastle.
“Shola is a good lad and a thoughtful lad, and if his thinking is that there is an opportunity to play at international level then I can understand it.”
Shola Ameobi: “2010 is a big year for Nigeria. The African Nations Cup is the same for us as the European Championships is in Europe. It’s a tournament I would love to play in.
“It was a great honour for me to represent England at Under-21 level, and my mum and dad were so proud of me.
“But they would love to see me play for Nigeria.
“It’s not about changing allegiances. I’ve got Nigerian roots and I’m proud of my country, the country where I was born and spent the first five or six years of my life.
“Playing at the World Cup is the pinnacle of any player’s career. It’s what you dream of, and if I can do that with Nigeria then that would be fantastic for me.
“They have been in touch before to see whether I was interested. In the past, I chose not to, so I could concentrate on helping Newcastle.
“But I have reached a stage in my career where I would love to play international football, and realistically it’s not going to happen with England.”