Eddie Howe makes five changes to Newcastle United team v PSG as major Bruno Guimaraes call made

Newcastle United are just 90 minutes from potentially finishing in the top-eight of the Champions League league phase. However, standing in their way are the reigning European champions - PSG.

Eddie Howe’s side know that a win would secure them a top-eight finish and, crucially, safe passage to the Round of 16 without the need to play an extra two-legged play-off match. Their hosts, though, also need to win tonight to guarantee themselves a top-eight finish.

There is also an outside possibility of a top-four finish - but that would rely on two of Real Madrid, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur failing to win their matches tonight. Defeat this evening for Newcastle United would see them finish outside of the top-eight and force them into playing a play-off match to secure their place in the last-16.

A draw at the Parc des Princes could also be enough to see both PSG and Newcastle United finish in the top-eight, although they would both then be reliant on results elsewhere to fall in their favour. For this scenario to play out, they would need Spurs to be beaten by already eliminated Eintracht Frankfurt and six of Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Atalanta, Inter Milan and Juventus failing to win their matches.

All 36 teams competing in this season’s Champions League will play tonight with 18 matches kicking off simultaneously across Europe.

Newcastle United injury news v PSG

The Magpies travelled to the French capital on Tuesday knowing they would be without a host of key players for their final league phase match. Fabian Schar and Tino Livramento remain sidelined with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.

Joelinton, meanwhile, suffered a groin injury against Aston Villa on Sunday and Howe confirmed to the media in Paris that the Brazilian would not feature in Paris, nor would he be fit enough to play in any of their upcoming Premier League or Carabao Cup matches.

There were also major doubts surrounding the fitness of Joelinton’s compatriot Bruno Guimaraes. Guimaraes was injured against PSV Eindhoven last week and missed Sunday’s defeat to Villa. He will start on the bench tonight in Paris.

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Jamaal Lascelles, Mark Gillespie and John Ruddy are also all unavailable for selection tonight having not been named in the club’s ‘List A’ squad. Youngsters Leo Shahar and Aidan Harris, meanwhile, have been included in Howe’s matchday squad.

Newcastle United team news v PSG

Howe’s team for the clash against PSG includes five changes from Sunday, with Dan Burn among those. He will make his first start in over a month as part of what looks like a back-five alongside Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman. Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall are expected to act as wing-backs with Nick Woltemade to lead the line for the Magpies.

Newcastle United starting XI v PSG: Pope, Miley, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall, Ramsey, Tonali, Willock, Elanga, Woltemade

Substitutes: Ramsdale, Harris, Trippier, Wissa, Gordon, Barnes, Osula, J.Murphy, A.Murphy, Guimaraes, Shahar

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