UEFA rules block Newcastle United stars from playing v Bayer Leverkusen - 21y/o alternative named
Bayer Leverkusen v Newcastle United: Here’s how The Magpies’ squad is shaping up as they return to the Champions League.
Newcastle United are back in Champions League action this week as they travel to Germany to face Bayer Leverkusen at the BayArena.
The Magpies have won three and lost two of their five Champions League matches so far and sit 11th in the 36-team group heading into the final three group phase matches.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen sit 17th but just a point behind Newcastle after winning away at Manchester City last time out in the competition.
Newcastle United quartet blocked from playing in Champions League
Newcastle could hand Yoane Wissa his Champions League debut on Wednesday evening after the forward came off the bench in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Burnley at St James’ Park to feature for the club for the first time since his £55million deadline day move from Brentford.
Eddie Howe has admitted Wissa is still weeks away from being ready to start matches consistently for Newcastle as the club manages his return to action carefully, but he has been named in Newcastle’s Champions League squad and is eligible to feature.
But Newcastle will have four players ineligible to feature, as per UEFA rules.
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Fortunately, none of the players in question have started any matches this season and only one was involved in the matchday squad at St James’ Park on Saturday.
UEFA rules require teams to name a ‘List A’ squad of 25 senior players including at least four club-trained players.
In the situation where a club can’t name at least four club-trained players, the squad size is adjusted accordingly. As Newcastle had no ‘senior’ club-trained players, with Lewis Miley only 19, their squad numbers were reduced to just 21 players.
As a result, four had to miss out. Those players were club captain Jamaal Lascelles, defender Harrison Ashby and goalkeeper duo John Ruddy and Mark Gillespie.
Ruddy was named on the bench at St James’ Park on Saturday but is yet to make his competitive debut for the club and will be forced to drop out of the matchday squad for the trip to Leverkusen. Ashby is also yet to feature in a competitive match for Newcastle since his £3million move from West Ham United in 2023 but has been involved with the Under-21s side this season.
Lascelles featured prominently in Newcastle’s last Champions League campaign but dropped out of the squad this time around having not started a competitive game since March 2024 due to an ACL injury.
In the absence of Ruddy, Gillespie and Pope, Newcastle will name Aaron Ramsdale in goal with a bench including Under-21s goalkeeper Max Thompson. Another youngster could also be called up as a goalkeeping option with 16-year-old duo George Mair and Roman Dowell set to travel to Germany as part of the UEFA Youth League squad.
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Newcastle United Champions League ‘List A’ squad
Goalkeepers: Nick Pope, Aaron Ramsdale
Defenders: Kieran Trippier, Tino Livramento, Emil Krafth, Dan Burn, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman
Midfielders: Joelinton, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock, Jacob Murphy, Anthony Elanga, Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon
Forwards: Yoane Wissa, Nick Woltemade, William Osula
Of Newcastle’s ‘List A’ squad, Pope, Trippier, Krafth and Botman are ruled out against Marseille while Osula is a doubt.
Fortunately, Newcastle’s squad can be supplemented by a ‘List B’ squad, which includes players born on or after January 1, 2004 that have played for the club for at least two years. Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall are two first-team players who fall into that category while several academy players have also been named on the list, including goalkeeper Thompson and defender Alex Murphy.
Speaking about Newcastle’s squad and the inclusion of Murphy and Sean Neave on the bench in recent matches, Howe said: "Every player is going to be needed, regardless of age and regardless of experience, there may be a time where they are called upon and we would trust on them to deliver.
"Alex has been around us for a long time. He has been training with us for a while, he has good loan experience and I really like Alex. I think he has a lot of strengths and potential.