Solano desperate to avoid axe

Last updated : 08 November 2003 By Martyn Elliott

The Peruvian took the place of the suspended Lee Bowyer in Switzerland but, with the former Leeds United man available to face Chelsea, Nobby is likely to find himself on the bench again.

"I'll be bitterly disappointed if I'm not in the team this weekend," Nobby is reported to have said.

"I need to feel the manager has confidence in me. We have enjoyed a lot of success together in the last two to three years, and I still don't know why things have changed."

Solano is understandably frustrated by the fact that he has started just two Premiership games so far this season, but with Bowyer’s form improving and Kieron Dyer having produced his best displays for some time on the right wing he may find that the bench is to become his regular home.

I don’t buy the theory that Sir Bobby is holding a grudge against Nobby because of his international commitments, surely the manager selects what he believes is his best available team for each Premiership game.

Having said all that Nobby has been heavily involved in most of our best displays in the past few years and is certainly one of the players that I most look forward to watching, so I’d love to see him back to his best and restored to the starting line up.