Alan Pardew targets European progress

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew has claimed that he will field a strong side when the Magpies face Metalist Kharkiv in the second leg of their Europa League last-32 tie.

Newcastle saw two Papiss Cisse goals disallowed in Thursday's first leg for offside, which finished 0-0.

"[Taking a strong team] was going to be in my thinking whatever the result," Clubcall.com quotes Pardew as saying. "There's no way we were going to win that game 3-0, no way.

"I knew the opposition were good enough for that not to happen, so we were always going to take a slender lead or, as in this case, no goals scored.

"A score draw takes us through, so that's some bonus for us to take into the second leg."

The second leg takes place in Kharkiv on Thursday evening.