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Good evening and welcome to live coverge of Newcastle vs Milan from St James’ Park in the last round of Champions League Group F fixtures. The permutations are fairly simple: a victory for either side gives them a chance of qualifying for the Round of 16 only if Dortmund, who have qualified already, go all out for victory against PSG and win to top the group. Should that match end in a PSG victory, Newcastle and Milan are essentially engaged in a shoot-out for a Europa League spot in which scenario, a draw favours Eddie Howe’s side on goal difference. If PSG draw in the Ruhr a Newcastle win would earn them second place because they have taken four points off PSG in their two matches while PSG, albeit it spawnily, have one.
Newcastle, though, as the defeat at Spurs demonstrated, are suffering grievously from injuries and fatigue. Sandro Tonali, who was treated to a hero’s homecoming at least by the club at San Siro, is banned amd Sven Botman, Dan Burn, Nick Pope, Jacob Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Joe Willock and Elliott Anderson, who all featured in Milan, are absent. Matt Targett and Javi Manquillo are also out and Martin Dubravka is considered a doubt which would give Loris Karius the gloves. There was better news on Sunday when Sean Longstaff and Calum Wilson came back and the former is likely to start tonight.
Milan, who lost to a 95th-minute goal against Atalanta on Saturday to leave them nine points behind Inter in Serie A, are similarly stricken and boast England’s Fikayo Tomori, after injuries to Malick Thiaw, Pierre Kalulu Simon Kjaer and Marco Pellegrino, as their only fit centre-half. They, too, have received better news in the last couple of days from the treatment room with Rafael Leao, their most coveted player, and Noah Okafor passed fit to travel.
Newcastle have two wins, a draw and a defeat against Italian visitors in European competition stretching back 53 years. Milan are a clever side but not what they were two years ago. Newcastle had to weather a storm at San Siro and were lucky to come away with a point but they have shown their class in two games against PSG. If they can summon all their strength in defiance of their palpable exhaustion, they have a very good chance of at least a Europa Cup place.
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