I will not play again Newcastle key player

Newcastle United can guarantee their spot in Europe by beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final next month.

Victory over the Reds would see Eddie Howe’s team book a place in the Europa Conference League and ensure a return to continental competition. And while Newcastle’s backroom team and club’s will have their eyes on bigger prizes, it would at least take some heat PSR-wise after last season’s failure to make Europe at all.

As the Champions League play-offs were concluded last night UEFA released the latest coefficient rankings with England very much in the driving seat with six from seven teams left in Euro competitions. That means that fifth place in the Premier League would get a Champions League slot, with Newcastle two points behind Bournemouth for that place.

Other slots in Europe may also open up if Aston Villa were to win the Champions League and not finish in the top five or Tottenham were to lift the Europa League and finish in a lowly position. But the EFL have today confirmed that the Carabao Cup winners will enter the play-off round of the Europa Conference League.

Despite Liverpool looking good for at least a Champions League spot, the runners-up in the League Cup final do not net the prize of Europe like the days of old. Newcastle entered the old Cup Winners Cup and the old UEFA Cup as runners up in the FA Cup finals of 1998 and 1999 but these days extra UEFA spots go to league places instead.