Tiote will wear Wonga shirt

Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote will wear the club shirt carrying the logo of sponsor Wonga next season.

Speculation had suggested the 27-year-old Ivory Coast international, along with his fellow Muslim team-mates, might not be prepared to play with the payday lender's name on his shirt so as not to risk infringing Sharia Law.

But sources on Tyneside have indicated that Tiote is comfortable with the situation.

However, the Magpies are yet to sit down with striker Papiss Cisse and discuss his objections after it emerged that he had expressed misgivings.

Cisse, 28, headed off on international duty with Senegal at the end of the domestic campaign and, while most of Alan Pardew's are due to return for pre-season training next week, he, Tiote, Mathieu Debuchy, Fabricio Coloccini and Yohan Cabaye have been extra time off as a result of their post-season commitments.

As a result, club officials will not have an opportunity to talk to him in any detail on the matter until he is back on Tyneside.

The Wonga deal has proved controversial since it was announced in October last year, with civic leaders hitting out at the club's association with the company.