Newcastle United coach Eddie Howe indicated on Tuesday that "his team will face AC Milan in their final group stage match of the UEFA Champions League knowing that a win might not be enough to qualify, but they will focus on what they can control." Howe's team will need to win on Wednesday night to have a chance to advance to the knockout stages, while also hoping Paris Saint-Germain does not win away against Borussia Dortmund.
Howe stated in a press conference: "Some things are at least in our hands, and we have to focus on ourselves. We can control what we can control, which is our performance on the pitch tomorrow. We will respect Milan; they are a very good team." Newcastle has lost their last three away matches in the Premier League, and Howe will be pleased to have the support of the fans at home tomorrow, while deferring the evaluation of the team's away form for later.
Howe remarked: "I have no doubt about the character of the players in the team. We certainly want to perform well away from home, but we need to focus tomorrow on our home game against Milan, and we will need all the support from the stands. Every fan can make a difference tomorrow. This aligns with our level at home. The fans have supported us and given us the ability to continue, and we will need that tomorrow."
Howe didn't provide much detail when asked about the absence of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and midfielders Anthony Gordon and Sean Longstaff from training on Tuesday. The coach said: "You can interpret it how you want. We played a game just two days ago, and we must make the most of rotating the players. We'll see who will be ready for tomorrow's match."
