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Will Livramento start for Newcastle against Barcelona? Full-back's Champions League status explained
Tino Livramento made his long-awaited return to the field for Newcastle United over the weekend, and he is in contention to appear in Tuesday's Champions League match against Barcelona, but he will likely not start.
Livramento missed 11 straight matches with a hamstring injury before making an 11-minute cameo off the bench during the Magpies' fifth-round FA Cup loss to Manchester City on Saturday. The 23-year-old had become a key part of Eddie Howe's lineup since joining Newcastle in 2023, and his performances have earned him three caps for England at the senior level.
Given Livramento's importance, Howe is eager to reintegrate the full-back into Newcastle's starting XI, but Tuesday's first leg against the La Liga giants comes too soon for that.
Instead, Howe says Livramento is an option off the bench for a match the manager calls the biggest in recent history for the Premier League side.
"He probably hasn't done enough training for me to feel 100 per cent confident that he's in that best physical moment, especially when it's such a big game, to start," Howe said during Monday's pre-match press conference.
"But he's in our squad, and anyone who's in that position is in contention to play. It's a delicate balance with Tino at the moment.
"He trained again this morning, and he trained again on Friday and is in good spirits. He's in a good place. He's a massive player for us, and it's great to have him back. Obviously, I've got to try and get the team selection right."
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