Newcastle United impacted by major Champions League rule change just days before Barcelona clash - it could be good news for Jamaal Lascellesplaceholder image
Newcastle United impacted by major Champions League rule change just days before Barcelona clash - it could be good news for Jamaal Lascelles | Getty Images
Newcastle United latest news: Eddie Howe’s side get their Champions League league phase campaign underway with a clash against Barcelona this week.
A mouthwatering tie against Barcelona awaits Newcastle United on Thursday night when they get their Champions League league phase campaign underway. The Magpies will compete in the newly-formatted league phase for the first time this season following its introduction last term.
Barcelona are the first visitors to Tyneside with Benfica, Athletic Club and PSV Eindhoven also set to visit the north east before the end of the league stage. The Magpies face a trip to Belgium to face Union Saint-Gilloise, Germany to take on Bayer Leverkusen and two trips to France to face Marseille and PSG in their four away games.
After being knocked out in the group stage during their last Champions League campaign, they will be desperate to qualify for the knockout rounds this time around. To do that, they must avoid finishing between 25th and 36th in the league phase table once their eight matches have concluded.
UEFA issue major squad update change
The Champions League will be the only European competition in action this week, with a special focus highlighted on the continent’s showpiece event. Ahead of their campaign, Newcastle United have submitted a ‘List A’ squad of players.
All players named in this squad will be able to play for the Magpies whilst a selection of ‘List B’ players, including Lewis Miley and Lewis Hall, and club-trained players born before January 1 2004, can also feature for them during the league phase. Newcastle United’s last Champions League campaign was played during a time where the first-team squad had been decimated by injury issues with Eddie Howe having little room to make changes to his starting line-up or options on the bench to change matches.
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However, should such injury issues hit them again this season, they may be able to make changes to their squad. A UEFA statement has confirmed that one outfield player can be replaced in that ‘List A’ squad if impacted by ‘long-term injury’ or ‘illness’.
The statement reads: ‘The Executive Committee approved an amendment to the 2025/26 UEFA men's club competitions' regulations to admit the temporary replacement of a maximum of one outfield player with long-term injury or illness during the league phase until matchday six included.
‘The reasoning for the adaptation is to ensure that squad lists are not unfairly reduced and players are safeguarded from additional workload pressure.’
For Newcastle United, this means that they could add Jamaal Lascelles, the only man in Howe’s Premier League squad omitted from their Champions League squad, if one of their current options meets the criteria stated above. UEFA’s definition of ‘long-term injury’ or ‘illness’ remains vague, however, and will likely be judged on a case-by-case basis.
Had this rule been in place last time they were in the competition then Newcastle United may have been able to replace Matt Targett, who suffered a hamstring injury in November, Sven Botman, who was ruled-out of five of their six matches due to a knee injury, or Harvey Barnes who was sidelined with a toe injury, in their squad with Matt Ritchie. Ritchie was not included in the ‘List A’ squad that season.
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