Magpies bank on young guns

Newcastle are set to field a largely youthful side for tonight’s top of the table clash against Bordeaux in the Europa League.

Youngsters Conor Newton and Yven Moyo were among a 20-man Newcastle squad which belatedly left Tyneside yesterday after heavy snow delayed them an hour.

Midfielders Newton, 21, and 20-year-old Moyo are yet to make a senior appearance for the club, and have been included along with the slightly more experienced Gael Bigirimana, Mehdi Abeid and Adam Campbell as manager Alan Pardew uses the depth of his squad.

The Magpies were forced to cancel their pre-match press conference at the Stade Chaban-Delmas which threw Pardew’s preparations into chaos, but left opposite number Francis Gillot fearing the worst as the pair prepared to battle it out for top spot in Group D.

The manager said: “In my experience, also as a player, usually when you have a certain delay, you do better and you play a better game, so it’s scaring me.”

Gillot’s comments may have been slightly tongue in cheek, and he will head into the game knowing a draw will be enough to maintain his side’s place at the top of the group with both teams having already qualified for the knockout stages. Like Pardew, he will rest key players.