Theo Walcott has a major concern when it comes to Newcastle United and the Champions League.
The Magpies are back in the big time, qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
The hope is that Eddie Howe has learned lessons from Newcastle United’s last European adventure, as he aims for an improved performance.
The new Champions League format should help, as Newcastle begin their campaign at home to Barcelona on Thursday night. It is a mammoth encounter, although the Magpies will not face Barca at their best due to Lamine Yamal’s injury.
Newcastle have injuries of their own, with Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey ruled out.
Jacob Ramsey suffers an injury during Leeds United vs Newcastle United at Elland Road.
Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images
Theo Walcott worried about Newcastle United’s depth ahead of Champions League return
Injuries dominated Newcastle’s last Champions League campaign. They simply did not have the depth to cope with the demands.
The Newcastle United squad is stronger now, but former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has told BBC Sport that he is still slightly worried about the Magpies’ lack of depth.
However, he still thinks they will be able to advance to the knockout stage of the competition.
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“I think all six English teams will do well, not just Arsenal,” he said.
“I only maybe look at Newcastle and think they may not have the strength in depth for this competition, but they should still make the knockout stages.”
Why Newcastle United will cope with Champions League demands this time
The 2023/24 Champions League campaign was gruelling for Newcastle United. They came bottom of their group, but that did not tell the whole story.
Had a dodgy penalty in Paris not been given, they would have advanced.
Regardless, the last European adventure was a slog. The Magpies were in the group of death, drawn against elite opposition for every single game.
This campaign should be different. The new Champions League format means Newcastle will play against eight different teams of varying quality. There are no easy games, but the only two teams that Howe should massively fear are Barcelona and PSG. The other six games will be challenging, but they are also winnable.
Newcastle also have the advantage of boasting European experience. A lot of this squad were novices two years ago, but that is no longer the case.
And while Walcott has concerns regarding depth, this squad is stronger than it was two years ago thanks to this summer’s transfer business. That will help Eddie Howe, who will be keen to rotate as much as he can in the coming weeks and months.