ALAN Pardew admits Newcastle United were running on empty late on at Villa Park.
But he’s confident his players will be fuelled and ready to go again by the time Chelsea arrive at St James’s Park tomorrow.
Relegation-threatened Newcastle claimed their first away win of the season on Tuesday night.
After dominating the first half, Pardew’s side spent the second period on the back foot as Aston Villa bombarded them, and the pace of the game took its toll on full debutants Moussa Sissoko and Yoan Gouffran.
Another of the club’s new signings, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, came off the bench late in the 2-1 win.
“I think there’s been a lot of tiredness in the camp because it was a hell of an effort at Aston Villa,” Pardew told the Gazette.
“It was a hell of a pace – the lads found the effort and the work-rate is much more advanced than in France.
“There were lads feeling stiff and awkward, but we still had plenty of time to recover, and the extra day on Chelsea (who played on Wednesday night).”
Sissoko, Gouffran and Yanga-Mbiwa will be all the better for their baptism of fire in the Premier League.
Pardew added: “I think when you make your debut away from home in a pressurised situation like that, the adrenalin takes it out of you as well.
“It takes it out of your legs, and there was a bit of that going on for Moussa.
“With that under their belts, the new boys will be better for Chelsea.”
United’s other transfer window signing – left-back Massadio Haidara – travelled to the Midlands with his new team-mates, but didn’t make the bench.
Instead, Haidara played for the club’s reserve team the following day, and Pardew doesn’t think the 20-year-old will feature much this season.
“Yoan and Sissoko were necessities, and we definitely needed a centre-back (Yanga-Mbiwa),” said Pardew. “Those three in particular were what we needed.
“Massaido is really not for this season.”
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