Key man expected to return for Marseille v Newcastle United clash - but ex-West Ham ace a major doubt
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Newcastle United news: Marseille have received a major boost ahead of their clash against Eddie Howe’s side in the Champions League.
Newcastle United face Marseille in their fourth Champions League league phase game of the season on Tuesday night - and their hosts have received a major fitness boost on the eve of that game.
Eddie Howe’s side head to France having won three of their four league phase games to date - a record which has them sat 6th in the table and in the automatic qualifying positions. However, Tuesday’s game will be just their second away from St James’ Park, having already played three times on home turf.
Marseille, despite sitting 25th in the Champions League table, are currently second in Ligue 1 and trail the current European champions, PSG, by just two points. Roberto De Zerbi’s side hammered local rivals Nice 5-1 on Friday night to temporarily move to the summit of the table before being leapfrogged by the Parisians on Saturday.
And, just a day before they welcome Newcastle United to the Stade Velodrome, Marseille have been boosted by the return of a key player - one Magpies fans will be familiar with.
Marseille team news v Newcastle United
According to L’Equipe, former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is expected to feature on Tuesday night, despite missing Marseille’s win over Nice on Friday. The Danish international was not included in De Zerbi’s matchday squad for that match and thus his participation in their upcoming Champions League outing was thrown into doubt.
However, it has been revealed that Hojbjerg had been rested for that game following an intense international break. The 30-year-old played 90 minutes at Hampden Park last Tuesday as Denmark were beaten 4-2 in a rollercoaster of a game against Scotland.
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That win for Scotland secured their place at next summer’s World Cup. Denmark, meanwhile, will have to qualify for that tournament through the playoffs in March.
The physical toll that match took on Hojbjerg was evidently enough for De Zerbi to rest the midfielder for their return to club football, even if that match was one of Marseille’s biggest games of the season. During his time in England, meanwhile, Hojbjerg played 11 times against Newcastle United for both Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton, but he emerged on the winning side in just three of those games.
Elsewhere, Marseille will be sweating on the fitness of former West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd ahead of their meeting with the Magpies. Aguerd was also not named by De Zerbi in Friday night’s matchday squad after he suffered a groin injury.
An official update posted by Marseille on Aguerd’s condition during the international break read: ‘Onset of pubalgia. Specific treatment has been implemented to limit symptoms and support a gradual return to play. Regular communication is taking place with the medical staff of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.’
Leonardo Balerdi, someone who emerged as a potential target for Newcastle United during the summer transfer window before they moved instead for Malick Thiaw, played alongside Benjamin Pavard in Aguerd’s absence against Nice as De Zerbi opted for a back four, rather than his usual five-at-the-back system.