A 19th-minute strike from veteran Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp settled the outcome in the home side’s favour but the game was overshadowed by another fall out between Souness and Bellamy.

The Welshman was left out of the squad by Souness after voicing his disquiet over being repeatedly played out of position and walking off the training pitch last week.

The incident, the latest in Bellamy’s chequered career on Tyneside, sparked fresh suggestions he could be offloaded but Magpies chairman Freddy Shepherd insisted the matter was dealt with at a meeting on Friday.

“There was a lengthy meeting on Friday between the manager, Craig Bellamy and myself,” Shepherd told the Press Association.

“What was discussed at that meeting is an internal matter and will remain private within the confines of the club. As far as I am concerned, that is the end of the matter.”

Earlier the United chairman had been quoted as saying that Bellamy was not for sale and that the player had been made fully aware of the club’s position at the same meeting.

Shepherd said: “Craig Bellamy is not for sale. The manager and myself have had a little meeting with him and told him that.

“We cannot stop him being linked with other clubs or other clubs wanting him but what we can say is that we have had nobody ask about Craig Bellamy and if we had, it would not matter, because he is not for sale.”

Bellamy’s unhappiness can be traced back to October last year when the striker first made it known to Souness that he was unhappy playing second fiddle to a preferred strikeforce of skipper Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert.

Bellamy was forced to accept a midfield role and is alleged to have told close friends and team-mates in the Wales squad that he had even considered handing in a transfer request.

Bellamy was then at loggerheads with the Scot after unleashing a torrent of foul-mouthed abuse at Souness when the United boss hauled him off at Charlton.

The latest row erupted when, fed-up with being asked to play right midfield, Bellamy is alleged to have feigned injury and then walked off the training pitch.

Souness said: “I don’t really want to talk about Craig Bellamy. We will address that situation next week. But my real concern is that we have just lost a match 1-0 to Arsenal.”

When quizzed over whether the 25-year-old Wales international striker still had a future at St James’ Park, Souness said: “Craig Bellamy is contracted to the club. There was an incident on Friday which led to me having to have a meeting between the chairman, the player and myself.

“Craig Bellamy is not happy in the position we are asking him to play sometimes and he’s gone about showing his displeasure in totally the wrong way, that’s why he was not involved.

“Declaring himself injured on Friday and walking off on Friday, then being fit on Saturday. We’re trying to create a team spirit at Newcastle, and I’m only interested in having players at the club who give everything for the cause.

“Our supporters don’t want to hear the petulance of a player saying he only wants to play in a certain position. They want to see 11 players out there working their socks off for the cause. Unfortunately we’re faced with the situation where that’s not the case.”

However, Bellamy was only too keen to explain his side of the story.

“I’ve been told to do a job for the team,” he replied. “That’s what I’ve tried to do.

“I’m playing out of position and I want to go up front. It’s probably selfish. I went to the manager and chairman and they said they weren’t getting a forward.”

Bellamy denied that he had told Souness he was unfit to play against Arsenal and was anxious to reassure the fanatical Geordie fans that he wants to play for the club.

The striker insisted: “I got left out but I am fully fit. I will play anywhere, I’ve proved that by playing 20 games out of position, I want to play for Newcastle but I don’t feel I’m doing the club justice in that position.

“I walked off the training ground to go and speak to the manager and the people upstairs. I thought it was resolved, I trained as normal and came here and found out I wasn’t on the bench.

“Since the new manager has come here I’ve trained as hard as I can and do a job for the team. The fans know it, they’ve seen me play out of position week in and week out, I’ve not moaned or sulked.

“There comes a time when you want to play in your rightful position but you get on with it. It’s a tough period at the moment but the last thing I want is the fans to think I don’t want to play for Newcastle in any position.”