A certain Kylian Mbappe is in town on Wednesday night.
Newcastle United host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at St James’ Park and, despite an injury worry leading up to the game, Mbappe looks fit to start.
While Eddie Howe’s success on Tyneside has been built upon a solid defensive record in the Premier League, the Frenchman offers a unique test.
The 24-year-old is one of the elite players in world football and boasts a record of 41 goals in 64 games in this competition. A player made for the big occasion, he is one of only two men to have ever scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final.
With Sven Botman injured, it’s going to be incredibly difficult to stop him.
Still, Howe has a plan.
What Eddie Howe said about Newcastle’s plan to stop Kylian Mbappe
Indeed, speaking on the eve of the game, Howe said (via the Chronicle): “It’s very difficult to combat him. Our defensive record has been strong, our team performance has been strong.
“It’s never down to one player. I don’t believe in man-marking. We need to do well in our units, nullify the space and hopefully keep the best player in the world quiet.”
A big night for Jamaal Lascelles
Having got the nod against Burnley, it seems as if Jamaal Lascelles will step in to replace Botman, rather than Dan Burn moving into a central position and either Lewis Hall or Matt Targett going in at left-back.
That means it is a huge night for the skipper. Talked up by Howe over the summer, Lascelles has struggled for game time since the arrival of Botman, making this quite the occasion to try and reclaim his starting berth.
Newcastle, like Howe says, will have to defend as a team but there’s a little doubt it’s a big night for Lascelles.
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