Charlton manager Alan Pardew has made a U-turn on the future of
Darren Bent.
After claiming last week that he would listen to offers for the
England cap, Pardew now insists his 11-goal top scorer is not for
sale.
The Addicks' Premiership struggle has brought the future of Bent
into sharp focus, with speculation linking the player with moves to
clubs from Liverpool to Chelsea.
Pardew admitted recently that an injury to the player could force
him into a quick sell in order to raise finances for much-needed
squad strengthening.
However Bent's knee injury now appears not to have been as serious
as first feared and after watching his team slump to an FA Cup
upset at the hands of Nottingham Forest, Pardew admits the
striker's influence could be pivotal in their survival fight.
"I merely said if his injury isn't clearing up how we think it is,
then it might be a problem for me to keep him because I want to
keep Charlton in the Premiership," said Pardew.
"The good news is Darren's injury seems to be clearing up faster
than we thought.
"So Darren will stay here until the end of the year.
"We feel a lot more optimistic he's going to return within three or
four weeks, rather than six or seven."
