Newcastle are weighing up whether the returning Tino Livramento is ready to start Champions League last-16 tie.
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe says it may be too soon for Tino Livramento to start Tuesday’s Champions League round of 16 clash against Barcelona, despite the defender making his long-awaited return at the weekend.
Livramento featured as a second-half substitute in Newcastle’s defeat to Manchester City, marking his first appearance after a spell on the sidelines.
The England international’s return was a welcome boost for Howe, though the manager admitted he must carefully assess the right-back’s readiness before deciding whether he can feature from the start against Hansi Flick’s side.
Speaking ahead of the match, Howe explained that while Livramento is back with the squad, his recent lack of training could make a starting role difficult in such a high-stakes encounter.
“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.
The Newcastle boss stressed that the 23-year-old remains in contention to play some role, particularly given his importance to the team.
“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.”
Livramento has been a key figure for Newcastle when fully fit, providing energy and attacking threat from the full-back position. His return arrives at a crucial moment for the Magpies as they prepare to face one of Europe’s toughest opponents in Barcelona.
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Howe revealed that the defender has continued to build his fitness in recent training sessions and remains in a positive frame of mind as he works his way back to full sharpness.
“He trained again this morning and he trained again on Friday and is in good spirits,” Howe added.
“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.”
Will Tino Livramento mark Lamine Yamal?
Newcastle are preparing for one of their biggest European fixtures in their history. If they are to be successful, they will need to keep Lamine Yamal under control.
With Livramento often featuring as a left-back, it is possible that he will have to face the Barcelona star, just as he did in the league phase meeting between the two sides. Barcelona won that game 1-2 thanks to two Marcus Rashford strikes, but Livramento was widely praised for keeping Lamine Yamal under control.
Livramento, since starting out at Southampton and now with Newcastle, has demonstrated excellent man-to-man marking skills, backed up by his quick acceleration and precision in the tackle.
While Yamal has proven capable against almost any defender he is up against, the 18-year-old will not find it easy against Livramento should he feature. The only question is whether Howe deems the Englishman fit enough to keep up with the intensity of such a match after a spell out with injury.
