By Matthew Jones
November 13 2002

Juventus are to field a reserve or youth team tonight, leaving out almost every key player. This news is a blow to Sir Bobby Robson's Newcastle who need Juventus to win or draw tonight to give us any chance of qualifying. If Juventus win or draw tonigt and Newcastle win, Juventus and Newcastle go through. Simple huh? However, Juventus are already though, so why should they put their best players out - putting them at risk of injury. They won't be!

Newcastle were hoping that Juve would field their strongest possible line-up in Kiev as they need to beat Feyenoord in their final Group E game and hope that the Italian champions prevent Kiev from winning.

Juve will be without star striker Alessandro Del Piero, French defender Lilian Thuram, Ciro Ferrara, Mauro Camoranesi, Alessio Tacchinardi and Czec star Pavel Nedved for the Kiev game as they have been left behind in Turin.

David Trezeguet, Paolo Montero and Igor Tudor are also absent through injury meaning call-ups from the youth side for of Antonio Mirante, Mattia Cassani, Matteo Paro and Ivano Sorrentino.

This leaves Newcastle's chances slim. HOWEVER, NEWCASTLE MUST NOT WORRY ABOUT JUVENTUS' GAME. THEY SHOULD PLAY THEIR OWN GAME. IF THEY THINK ABOUT JUVENTUS, CHANCES ARE THAT THEY WILL NOT PERFORM THEIR BEST. But I cannot decide what they can and can't do. Its up to Sir Bobby now!

Come on Juventus!
Come on Tooooon!