Newcastle United continue their pursuit of Champions League qualification tonight, and it will be interesting to see just how much Eddie Howe is willing to throw caution to the wind.
Heading into this game, Newcastle sit outside the all-important top eight in the Champions League table with nine points from five games. Even a win tonight might not be enough to get them in those automatic qualification spots.
Should Howe put out a weakened team vs Bayer Leverkusen ahead of facing Sunderland on Sunday?👀
However, one thing’s for sure: a defeat would leave the Magpies scrambling as we approach the final run-in for this round of the competition.
Fans are keen to see Newcastle give it everything against Leverkusen and against Sunderland at the weekend, but Eddie Howe will need to balance the squad effectively to maximise his chances of a double success.
Yoane Wissa start would be a worthwhile risk
In his press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Howe said he would field a strong team in both games. He also insisted that playing football is the best way for players to stay sharp.
With this in mind, we wouldn’t bet against Yoane Wissa landing a spot in the starting XI for the game against Leverkusen. It would be a risk, sure, but one that could pay dividends.
Howe spoke about how ‘positive’ Wissa was after making his debut at the weekend, and how much better off the player seems after getting some minutes.
The Newcastle manager did admit that the quick turnaround and lack of training might be an issue for Wissa, but what better way to get him up to speed than to throw him in at the deep end and see how he deals with the pace of the game from the get-go.
Wissa played just over 20 minutes on Saturday. There’s no reason he can’t now bump that up to a full 45 minutes in Germany, before making way for Nick Woltemade at half time.
Or, better yet, Howe might even play both strikers together, just as we’ve all been wanting.
- READ MORE: Predicted Newcastle United XI to face Bayer Leverkusen as Eddie Howe avoids Yoane Wissa temptation
Eddie Howe must get Wissa ready for Sunderland
It would be a massive call for Howe to put Wissa in the starting XI, but can you imagine the buzz among Newcastle fans if he is included?
Plus, with Sunderland coming up at the weekend, Wissa is going to be desperate to play and Howe will need the £55m man match-ready.
This is our predicted Newcastle United XI to face Bayer Leverkusen! Are you making any changes?🤔
The only way to get the forward ready for the Tyne-Wear derby, at least to a level where he can truly make an impact, is to get him meaningful game time this week.
Whatever happens, we will see Wissa make his Champions League debut tonight. That much is certain. Now, it’s just down to Howe as to how brave he feels.
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