Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce reacted angrily to questions over a reported fallout with French winger Allan Saint-Maximin, labelling the journalist who broke the story a "liar".
Saint-Maximin returned to the starting line-up for Newcastle's trip to West Brom in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Tuesday night.
The Magpies progressed to the quarter-finals with a 3-2 victory thanks to a first half-double from Miguel Almiron and a Valentino Lazaro effort, after surviving a stirring second-half fightback from the Baggies.
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Saint-Maximin played a key role in the win and hit the bar with a stunning long-range effort in the first 45 minutes, despite the fact Bruce had said the 22-year-old was struggling with hamstring and back issues in the lead up to the contest.