TEAM NEWS: Elanga, Joelinton dropped and Woltemade starts - Confirmed XI vs Benfica

The team sheets are in at St James' Park, where Eddie Howe's Mags tackle Jose Mourinho's Benfica in our third game of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

After a defeat to Barcelona in our first home game of the league phase and a loss at Brighton on Saturday, we'll be looking to bounce back and build on our 4-0 win at Union SG in our last European outing, with Benfica in need of a victory after losing their opening two Champions League games so far.

Here is how the two sides line up ahead of tonight's 8pm kick-off...

Confirmed line-ups

Newcastle XI: Pope -Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn - Miley, Bruno, Ramsey - Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon

Subs: Thompson, Ramsdale, Schar, Joelinton, Tonali, Barnes, Krafth, Osula, Elanga, Willock, A.Murphy

Benfica XI: Trubin, Dedic, Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Tomas Araujo - Aursnes, Richard Rios, Barrenechea -  Lukebakio, Sudakov, Pavlidis

Howe has made three changes from Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Brighton, with Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Elanga all dropped to the bench.

Tonali has been battling a bug all week and missed some training sessions, whilst Joelinton is in need of a rest and is facing a suspension for our game against Bilbao should he pick up a yellow card tonight.

Lewis Miley, Jacob Ramsey and Jacob Murphy start in their place, with Nick Woltemade again leading the line up top.

Dan Burn and Kieran Trippier are again Howe’s starting pair at fullback, and tonight will hopefully be a much easier game than Saturday afternoon for the veteran duo.

For Mourinho's Benfica, Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis is one to keep an eye on after netting nine goals already this season, with former Man City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi, now 37, set to come up against Nick Woltemade at the other end.

A big night under the lights on Tyneside and the ideal opportunity to bounce back. Howay the lads!