Longstaff’s loan worry

MATTY LONGSTAFF has admitted being left out of the Newcastle squad will make him consider going out on loan.

The 20-year-old was missing from Steve Bruce’s first-team squad at the weekend along with his brother Sean.

Linked with a loan switch to Watford in January, Matty, right, said: “You kind of start to think, ‘I haven’t played a game this year – am I going to be around here come January or am I going to have to go out on loan and get games?’

“The biggest thing for a young kid is playing and that’s how he’s going to develop. Hopefully, whenever I get the chance I can keep trying to do well, stay part of it, and get as many games as possible.”

MANCHESTER UNITED and Arsenal have been forced to switch venues for their Europa League last-32 first legs due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

United’s away leg against Spanish side Real Sociedad next Thursday will now take place in Turin at the Juventus Stadium while

Arsenal’s match against Portuguese outfit Benfica will be at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The Gunners’ home leg against Benfica will also be an issue as Portugal is on a “red list” of

countries whose citizens are barred from enetering the UK. No venue has yet been selected for that match but United’s home leg against Sociedad will go ahead at Old Trafford as planned. United said the venue had

changed “because of Spanish government restrictions entering the country from England, due to the new Covid-19 variant”.

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