Head coach Eddie Howe says it was his decision not to start Anthony Gordon against Barcelona after the unwell Newcastle United forward was criticised by pundits. Shearer, speaking before it was known that Gordon had missed training, said it would take "something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game". However, Gordon was not even able to take part in a walkthrough session on the morning of the match. Gordon has since returned to training and is in contention to lead the line against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. "I think Ant has done that well and he's single-minded enough to blank out a lot of the noise.

Source: BBC March 13, 2026 14:30 UTC