Newcastle's youngsters face tough challenge

Of all the venues which lie ahead in the 10 months of Newcastle United's season, none is as important as a little stadium in the capital of Bosnia which was once turned into a mortuary during the siege of this city.

Having surprised everyone, even probably themselves, by qualifying for the preliminary stages of the Champions' League, the overwhelming need, both financially and psychologically, is to make it through to the competition proper, where Uefa's largesse will go a long way to soothing the debt piled up from the Keegan and Dalglish years and the spectacular redevelopment of St James' Park.

As Sir Bobby Robson admitted, Newcastle had expected to face Lillestrom rather than Zeljeznicar, the champions of Bosnia, who beat the Norwegians home and away to set up an intriguing first leg in a city which sparked the first and last European wars of the 20th century.

Robson admitted he knew little of a side who were good enough to reach the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup in 1985 and, in the Newcastle manager's words, one attempt to have them watched fell apart "when the travel arrangements went absolutely cock-eyed." Instead, Robson has had to rely on a video and there was little sense of complacency as his squad left the North-East yesterday.

On the only other occasion in which Newcastle made the Champions' League, five years ago, they also had to travel to what used to be known as Yugoslavia to qualify, and needed a late Temuri Ketsbaia goal to see them through against Zagreb. It says something for the lack of continuity which afflicts most Premiership clubs that Shay Given is the only survivor from Kenny Dalglish's team.

"We cannot talk about what making Europe means to us until we qualify," said Robson. "We have to take Zeljeznicar seriously. They did not look too penetrating in attack but they have knocked out a reputable team from Norway and given nothing away."

Newcastle will be without Gary Speed, who picked up what Robson called "a colourful ankle-injury" in training and may miss the club's opening Premiership fixture against West Ham on Monday. Laurent Robert and Craig Bellamy, whose pace and verve were largely responsible for Newcastle reaching this tournament, are recovering from knee and back injuries, while Carl Cort again finds himself on the treatment table, after breaking down on Friday during an 8-0 romp over Gateshead.

Having paid Wimbledon £7m for the striker two summers ago and seen him plagued by injuries ever since, this would come as a further blow to Robson, who, despite the purchase of exciting young talent like Jermaine Jenas, Hugo Viana and Titus Bramble for a combined total of £18m, cannot boast the squad depth of the Premiership's other Champions' League contestants. The very youth of Newcastle's squad means that they may be vulnerable tomorrow in the tight Grbavica stadium, which houses some of the most fanatical fans in the Balkans.

"We are not looking for a holiday," Robson said. "We will be well looked after here but it isn't Hawaii." Nobody would claim that but, for Newcastle, Sarajevo might be the gateway to financial paradise.

* Ronaldo has been left out of the Internazionale squad for tomorrow's Champions' League qualifier against Sporting Lisbon. The Brazilian striker, who wants to leave San Siro, has been left out because of fitness concerns, though the underlying reason is probably the growing rift between the player and the Italian club. His agent, Alexandre Martins, said: "He wants to leave. But he will honour his contract because he is a professional."