Newcastle United confirm Matias Fernandez-Pardo decision ahead of AFC Bournemouth clash
Matias Fernandez-Pardo is in line to make his Newcastle United debut against AFC Bournemouth - from the bench.
Newcastle United new signing Matias Fernandez-Pardo is on the bench for this lunchtime’s Premier League match at home to AFC Bournemouth.
The Belgian joined the Magpies for £51million from Lille on deadline day on Tuesday and has trained with his new teammates in the days after.
However, unlike Amar Dedic and Nico Gonzalez, boss Matthias Jaissle has stopped short of throwing Fernandez-Pardo straight into his starting line-up, with the versatile attacker named among the substitutes.
Jaissle hinted that the 21-year-old wouldn’t start against the Cherries, having not played since the World Cup. He last started a match in May.
“He's fit, he's training with us but it's been a while since he played the last time, over 90 minutes,” Jaissle said. “It's also important for a young lad to adapt towards our intensity in training but also the intensity in the Premier League, so we will have a close eye on him and we are smart also with the load management.
“We want to enjoy him for a longer period and not just for one game.”
Newcastle United starting XI v AFC Bournemouth
Jaissle has stuck with the same side that won 2-0 at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, but there are three changes to the bench as Nick Pope, Fernandez-Pardo and Tino Livramento come into the squad.
Pope comes in for the injured Ewen Jaouen, while Fernandez-Pardo and Livramento replace Nick Woltemade and Leo Shahar, who both left the club on loan this week for Juventus and Portuguese top-flight side FC Arouca, respectively.
Pope was made available to leave Newcastle, but the club were ultimately unable to find a buyer during the summer transfer window. Today’s match marks his first game back involved for Newcastle since the signing of Hornicek and the appointment of Matthias Jaissle at head coach.
Livramento is back in the squad after recovering from a calf injury that forced him to withdraw from England’s World Cup squad.
Newcastle United starting XI: Hornicek; Dedic, Thiaw (c), Botman, Hall; Nico, Miley; Elanga, Willock, Barnes; Wissa. SUBS: Pope, Livramento, Schar, Bamba, Steur, Ramsey, Toure, Murphy, Fernandez-Pardo.