Euro KO blow for ace Scott

[Scottish Mag 3]

Newcastle United were dealt a blow on the eve of their return to European action with the news that skipper Scott Parker is out of the game in Belgium.

 

Parker was not included in the United squad which few out from Newcastle Airport this morning for tomorrow night's clash with part-timers Zulte-Waregem in the first leg of their UEFA Cup tie.

 

The Toon skipper was one of the stars of their battling 2-1 win over Liverpool at the weekend but paid the price as he was left with a tight hamstring.

 

And Glenn Roeder has opted not to take any chances by leaving his captain (pictured) at home to recover.

 

But Parker apart, Roeder has pledged to field the strongest side he has available tomorrow night.

 

The United boss took in Middlesbrough's FA Cup fourth-round replay with Bristol City at the Riverside last night before boarding this morning's flight to Ostend ahead of his side's clash with the European minnows in Ghent.

 

Roeder knows he cannot play Oguchi Onyewu, who had a solid game against Liverpool, because he is cup-tied from playing earlier in the UEFA Cup campaign for Standard Liege.

 

The Toon boss is still keeping close tabs on Kieron Dyer after he played three games in seven days last week, as well as Nicky Butt, who has been playing with an injured big toe.

 

But Roeder is determined to make it smoothly through to the last 16.

 

Roeder said today: "Nobody will be rested against Zulte-Waregem.

 

"I will be fielding the strongest line-up available to me, and with no Premiership game to think about at the weekend we can concentrate on the two legs of this UEFA Cup tie.

 

"It would be nice to leave Belgium with a positive result that will give us the platform to progress in the competition."

 

Roeder may recall Irish winger Damien Duff to his midfield after the ex-Chelsea man sat out the 2-1 win over Liverpool.

 

It means the Londoner may reshuffle his midfield, with Nobby Solano dropping to right-back and Steven Taylor partnering Titus Bramble in the heart of defence in place of Onyewu.

 

Roeder isn't underestimating the challenge of Zulte, who will play the game at Ghent's stadium as they have no floodlights at their Regenboogstadion home.

 

Roeder said: "We can't, and won't, underestimate them whatsoever - it would be an unprofessional thing to do.

 

"We have done the same type of research on Zulte as we would if we were playing Chelsea or Arsenal.

 

"They have been watched on three occasions by David Mills our chief scout.

 

"This is cup football and anything can happen. They have already shocked Sparta Prague and Austria Vienna so we cannot take anything for granted."

 

United squad: Babayaro, Bramble, Butt, Carroll, Duff, Dyer, Edgar, Forster, Harper, Huntington, LuaLua, Luque, Martins, Milner, Pattison, Sibierski, Solano, Srnicek, Taylor and Troisi.

[Baggio 0]

Good news IMO.

 

We shouldn't be playing a midfield pairing of Butt and Parker against a team that contains part timers.

 

Butt the holding man with Dyer having a free role behind Martins and Sibierski.