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(Image: Stu Forster)

Papiss Cisse will offer to wear a charity-branded Newcastle shirt in a bid to end his dispute over the club's Wonga sponsorship deal.

Senegalese striker Cisse is due back on Tyneside on Friday for his first day of pre-season - and will be expected to wear training kit emblazoned with the Wonga logo.

However, Cisse - a Muslim - has religious objections to sporting the name of the controversial pay-day lenders on his chest and has privately made his opposition clear to Toon chiefs.

Both Newcastle and Wonga have so far refused to make any exceptions for the Geordies' star striker during a summer stand-off, and the issue will now come to a head.

Legal sources say one solution being explored is Wonga donating the advertising space on Cisse's shirt - Newcastle fabled Number 9 - as a one-off gesture of goodwill.

Cisse would then choose a charity to promote on his kit in place of Wonga's logo.

Another solution is for him to wear a shirt with no logo whatsoever.

It remains to be seen how Cisse would handle the situation if he was told that, legally, he has no choice but to accept being a walking billboard for Wonga.

The Premier League could also have problems with a different logo being shown by one player.

Newcastle officials have held a series of secret meetings to try to resolve the dispute, with employment law experts being summoned to St James' Park to discuss the detailed legal ramifications of the issue.

(Image: Ian Horrocks)

Most of Alan Pardew's squad have been training in Wonga-branded kit for the last week, including Hatem Ben Arfa, who is also a Muslim.

But Cisse - as well as Cheick Tiote, Fabricio Coloccini and Yohan Cabaye - are only starting on Friday, having taken extra rest following international duty in June.

Cisse let it be known last month that he was uneasy about using his image to promote Wonga, whose sponsorship has divided opinion.

Critics say their 4,200 per cent interest rates for pay-day loans exploit the poor, and suspect Newcastle were chosen by Wonga because of the greater rate of financial problems faced by North-East families.

However, Wonga say they are up front about their short-term interest rates, which cater for people who banks won't lend to.

They are also sponsoring a range of grass-roots community initiatives in Newcastle involving sport and business.

Both the club and Cisse's representatives refused to comment on the on-going situation on Thursday, and Wonga said they "would not comment on rumour and speculation."

Meanwhile, Pardew is happy to get his entire squad back training this weekend, and says it will take "a bid that blows the doors off" to prize any of his best players away.

Cabaye has been linked with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain this summer but Pardew said: "I feel we are in a strong position, financially, to hold on to our players. If one of our top players goes it will be a bid that blows the doors off.

"In terms of the big players, again we have not sold anybody. We have players under long-term contracts here. Hopefully we can add to that. We are strong in some areas and weak in others.

"I think it would be nice to strengthen in some areas. The obvious target is a striker and we have four or five targets.

"It is difficult, because I know there is speculation, particularly about Darren Bent."