Cisse has lost his confidence, claims Carver

The Senegalese front man has just one league goal to his name this season - a penalty - and has often found himself out of favour, with Loic Remy or Shola Ameobi frequently preferred to lead the Newcastle attack.

Cisse made just his ninth league start of the season in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Fulham before being withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining.

But Carver, who was deputising for Alan Pardew in the manager's enforced absence through a stadium ban, believes the goals will come.

"When you're a goalscorer, all (of them) play on confidence," he said.

"At the moment Papiss' confidence is down, only because he hasn't been scoring goals. What is pleasing is that he keeps in positions to start scoring.

"If you think back to two seasons ago, he could've had his own programme on goal of the season, some of the goals were out of this world.

"He has worked, it would have dead been easy for him to sulk because he hasn't been in the team but he has worked extremely hard on the training ground, he has done really well.

"Good goalscorers when they get confidence they hit the road, maybe he needs a scruffy goal."