Eddie Howe calls up 16-year-old for Newcastle United's Champions League squad to face Marseille
Newcastle United have a small pool of players to choose from in the Champions League due to not having enough 'club-grown' players on the books to allow them to select a maximum squad of 25 players.
This means that young goalkeeper Max Thompson's name has been seen on the team sheet in every Champions League game so far this season, as has that of promising young defender Alex Murphy.
More familiar names such as Jamaal Lascelles, Mark Gillespie, John Ruddy and Harrison Ashby were all left out of the Champions League squad and as such can't be selected by Howe.
Newcastle have a few players missing through injury, which is stretching the squad already, which is why we saw two goalkeepers named on the bench on Saturday, as well as a couple of youngsters, and that's going to be the case again tomorrow night in Marseille.
16-year-old Newcastle player spotted training with Champions League squad
While being through their paces in Marseille, 16-year-old Toon prospect Sam Alabi was spotted training with the group, suggesting that we're going to see a new name on the team sheet tomorrow night.
It's unlikely that the former Oldham youth will get on the pitch, but just being with the first team in the Champions League will be such a huge experience for the lad.
Alabi has risen to the Under 21s at Newcastle already, two years after joining from Oldham, and it seems he's impressed Eddie Howe too, to be given this opportunity.
Sam Alabi has been compared to Paul Pogba already
Sam Alabi is a central midfielder whose playing style has been compared to Paul Pogba. He could be one to keep an eye on if Howe is bringing him along on Champions League nights already.
Alabi recently captained England Under 17s to a 7-5 win over Germany.
Who knows, if he conducts himself well on this trip and impresses Howe in training, we might see more of him in the first-team squads over the next couple of seasons.
Maybe if we get a lower league team in the FA Cup, Howe could experiment with some younger players, and Alabi could be given a shot.
