Newcastle duo could return for Champions League clash | OneFootball

Eddie Howe says he is optimistic that Yoane Wissa and Sven Botman will be able to return against Qarabag on Tuesday.

Wissa has missed the last two games with a knock, while Botman has been sidelined for three matches with a back problem.

But both have trained ahead of the Champions League play-off second-leg clash.

“We hope they’ll be involved,” Howe said.

“We’ll see how they are when they wake up tomorrow, but fingers crossed they will be.”

The Magpies hold a significant 6-1 advantage going into the second leg at St James’ Park, but Howe says keeping momentum is important.

“We’ll look at the squad and try to pick a strong team,” he said.

“We want to win the game, that’s the first target. In some senses we want to keep a good rhythm with the players.

“It’s a delicate balance between rotating the squad and making sure everyone’s fresh and also making sure players don’t lose rhythm and we don’t lose the good feeling we’ve had.”