Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has insisted reports that his relegation-threatened side fought with one another on the bus following their defeat at Leicester were "not true at all".

The Magpies were left just two points above the bottom three in the Premier League after a 3-0 loss at fellow strugglers Leicester last weekend saw them dragged deeper into a relegation battle.

Defeat continued a wretched run for Newcastle that has seen the north-east side lose eight successive league games heading into their home match with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

But although the players held a clear-the-air meeting on Monday, Coloccini said talk of a physical confrontation on the way back to the north-east from the Midlands city of Leicester was wide of the mark.

Coloccini, writing in the match programme for the clash with West Brom at St James' Park, said: "The dressing room after the game was angry at the result and the performance.

"However, I have read things this week that said there was fighting between the players in the dressing room and on the bus. That is not true at all.

"Everything that was said was positive and constructive as everyone is trying their best to push the team back up the league," he added.