Newcastle announce Champions League squad for 'Group of Death' with SHOCK name and club stalwart included

NEWCASTLE have announced their 23-man squad for this year's Champions League group stage.

It's the first time they have been in the competition since 2002 after an incredible season last time out saw them finish fourth in the Premier League.

And their welcome back to the competition saw them drawn in Group F which has been dubbed this year's "group of death".

They'll kick off the season's competition against AC Milan on September 19 before facing PSG and Borussia Dortmund in November.

As per Champions League rules, club's must name a "List A" and "List B" squad.

List A is for non-club trained players over the age of 21 - and it's fair to say it has thrown up some surprises.

Veteran defender and local boy Paul Dummett, 31, is a surprise inclusion in the list of names that will be playing Champions League football this season.

The defender has played 205 times for the club but has rarely featured in recent years - making just four appearances for Newcastle since the 2021-22 season.

As an academy product, Dummett's inclusion helps Newcastle reach their club-trained quota and thereby allowing the club to include more foreign players in the squad.

The biggest name not to make the squad is Matt Ritchie, 33, who featured in seven Premier League games under Eddie Howe last season and 10 in all competitions.

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Emil Krafth also misses out as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

Right-back Javier Manquillo and goalkeeper Mark Gillespie have also failed to make the cut.

Newcastle have endured a tough start to the season since their opening day 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.

They have since lost tricky fixtures to Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton.

They'll be looking to bounce back against Brentford after the the international break on September 16 before kicking off their Champions League campaign against AC Milan three days later.