Newcastle, with sticking plaster over wounds both mental and physical, must steel themselves for rapid fire Champions League confrontation with Jose Mourinho and Benfica aware that they have to fend off any fears of a repeat of recent history.

Because when Eddie Howe last took his black and white warriors into a Champions League season the relentless weight of four competitions eventually proved too great to carry.

United finished the 2023-24 season seventh in the Premier League completely out of all European qualification. And right now the signs that both expectation and workload could take its toll again will concern the more cautious Geordie faithful with defeat at Brighton confining United to the bottom half of the table five points behind Sunderland with only two victories in eight matches and no win away from St James' Park.

Of course it is extremely early in the season and United have a deeper squad this time round to a couple of year back, but facts don't lie and Howe will be calling on his players to banish any...