Bowyer's 12 Game European Ban

Newcastle have been rocked by the news that midfielder Lee Bowyer remains ineligible for European competition after UEFA confirmed he has yet to serve a six-match ban. Bowyer and his club believed the lengthy suspension, stemming from his time at Leeds when he was found guilty of stamping on the head of an opponent during a UEFA Cup tie, had been completed.

So far this season the Magpies have played two Champions League qualifying matches - losing to Partizan Belgrade on penalties - and four UEFA Cup games to reach the third round of the competition where they now face Valerenga in the first leg on Thursday.

Although Bowyer was obviously excluded from the squads for those games, UEFA have stated he should have been declared eligible to play when the club submitted their player lists before each match.