Anthony Gordon returns as Eddie Howe names two changes to his Newcastle United starting XI for tonight’s Champions League opener against Barcelona.
Gordon is currently serving a three-match ban in the Premier League following his red card for a tackle on Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk but is eligible to feature in the Champions League.
And the 24-year-old comes in for club-record signing Nick Woltemade in a decision that will come as a surprise to some supporters after the German scored on his Premier League debut in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
In the other change, Anthony Elanga comes in for Jacob Murphy on the right wing. The defence and midfielder remains unchanged from the Wolves victory.
When asked about the possibility of rotating Woltemade, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said: “Yeah, we're trying to take everything into consideration when we're picking the teams at the moment. You have to have one eye on the future in terms of future games to make sure that whatever team you pick is balanced.
“The priority is always in the next game, but we're, of course, looking ahead to who we have available with future games in mind. Team selections aren't always straightforward, I think, in a lot of goes into them.”
Here are Newcastle United’s starting XI and substitutes in full:
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2. GK: Nick Pope
Four games, three clean sheets. Will keep his place ahead of Aaron Ramsdale. | Getty Images
3. RB: Kieran Trippier
A return to the side for Lewis Hall would likely see Trippier drop out, but Howe isn’t expected to recall the former tonight. | Getty Images
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4. CB: Fabian Schar
Malick Thiaw is waiting in the wings but Schar’s strong start to the campaign has barely given the former AC Milan man a sniff. | Getty Images