Don’t write off Newcastle United striker Papiss Demba Cisse

The striker has had two barren years in front of goal with the Magpies but manager Pardew is hopeful he can rediscover the explosive form which helped propel United into the Europa League two years ago.

Cisse is pencilled in to return to training next month after recovering from the fractured kneecap he suffered late last season.

And Pardew, whose side are yet to score in the Premier League this season, is looking forward to having Cisse available again.

The 53-year-old’s squad looks short of a player who can score 10 or more goals.

But Newcastle are unlikely to sign another striker before the transfer window closes on September 1 – unless there are one or more outgoings from St James’s Park.

Cisse, however, could yet fill that void, according to Pardew, who feels the market for British forwards has become vastly inflated.

“I do remember not so long ago us all talking very highly about Papiss and whether we could keep him,” said Pardew, whose side take on Crystal Palace at St James’s Park on Saturday.

“The chances he was given last year didn’t’really help his cause and there was a lot of games where he trawled through for us because we never created enough chances for him.

“I think with Papiss that there’s a possibility that he could score a lot of goals in this team, so I wouldn’t write him off by any stretch of the imagination.

“He’s about two weeks away from training, so he’s not far away so that’s something that seems to have been forgotten.

“Having said that, if we’re going to bring in a player, they have to be better and above (Emmanuel) Riviere and Papiss, otherwise there is no point.

“When you look at the transfers, Jordan Rhodes, (Ross) McCormack to Fulham and Shane Long, and you look at their prices, I don’t think we would have done those three transfers.”

Cisse made a blistering start to his United career after joining from Freiburg in January 2012.

The 29-year-old scored 13 goals in his first half-season at the club, including two stunning finishes in a rare win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

But the Senegal international has struggled to replicate that form ever since.

Pardew feels Cisse’s woes, at least in part, are down to a lack of service.

“He had like two or three chances a game,” said Pardew.

“He fluffed his lines a little bit, but he probably needs more than that.

“Top strikers do need more than that and I believe he can come again – and come again here.”