Newcastle United confirmed line-up v Bayer Leverkusen: Yoane Wissa decision made & 19y/o drafted in
Bayer Leverkusen v Newcastle United team news: Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Hall all start at the BayArena.
Newcastle United are back in Champions League action against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday evening (8pm kick-off GMT).
Eddie Howe has made four changes to his Newcastle side for the match in Germany.
The Magpies were beaten 2-1 at Marseille last time out in the competition but head to Leverkusen knowing a win could be enough to secure progress to the next stage of the competition with two games to spare. Victory in Germany would also give Newcastle an opportunity to secure a top eight finish and progress straight to the last-16.
The match marks the start of a big week for Newcastle as they follow it up with a derby match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday before a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham at St James’ Park three days later.
As a result, Eddie Howe will have to carefully manage his players and squad, having not been afraid to rotate in recent matches. Howe made six changes from the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur to the 2-1 win over Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
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Newcastle United team news as nine ruled out
Newcastle will be without the injured Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth, Sven Botman and William Osula for the Bayer Leverkusen match.
Newcastle also have four senior players ineligible to feature as they were not named in the Champions League squad list. UEFA rules dictate a club must name 25 players born on or before January 1, 2004 in their ‘List A’ squad, which includes four club-trained players.
As Newcastle do not have any club-trained players above the age of 21, their squad size was reduced by four, limiting Eddie Howe to naming 21 senior players. That saw Jamaal Lascelles, John Ruddy, Mark Gillespie and Harrison Ashby omitted from the Champions League squad despite being named in the Premier League squad.
Newcastle can add players born on or after January 1, 2004 in their ‘List B’ squad which allows young players registered to the club for at least two years to be eligible to feature in the Champions League.
Lewis Hall and Lewis Miley are named in the ‘List B’ squad due to their age so don’t take up a squad place despite already being established first-team players.
But in the absence of Pope, Ruddy and Gillespie, Newcastle are short of senior goalkeeping options for the Champions League match.
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Newcastle United line-up v Bayer Leverkusen
Eddie Howe made four changes from the side that beat Burnley 2-1 on Saturday with Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton and Harvey Barnes coming in for Fabian Schar, Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock and Anthony Elanga.
Here is how Newcastle United line up against Bayer Leverkusen tonight...
GK: Aaron Ramsdale
RB: Tino Livramento
CB: Malick Thiaw
CB: Dan Burn
LB: Lewis Hall
CM: Sandro Tonali
CM: Bruno Guimaraes
CM: Joelinton
RW: Harvey Barnes
LW: Anthony Gordon
ST: Nick Woltemade
NUFC substitutes
Yoane Wissa is back on the bench having made his Newcastle debut as a substitute against Burnley on Saturday. The 29-year-old will have a chance of making his Champions League debut in Leverkusen.
Young goalkeepers Max Thompson and Adam Harrison are also on the bench for Newcastle to support Ramsdale.
Defender Alex Murphy is among the substitutes once again along with Fabian Schar, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock, Jacob Ramsey and Lewis Miley.