NEWCASTLE skipper Jamaal Lascelles has banned himself from TikTok – so he doesn’t see any more clips of Kylian Mbappe.
The Toon centre-back has been stuck on the bench for the last two years but is back in the fold following Sven Botman’s injury.
Lascelles, 29, has had two games to get up to speed for the biggest task of his career: keeping PSG superstar Mbappe quiet tomorrow night.
And he said: “I already know how he plays, he has so many clips on TikTok – you see them all the time!
“I will be staying off TikTok for a few days. He is probably the best player in the world but you want to play against him.
“It’s something you don’t even dream of but there won’t be sleepless nights – it is just a massive opportunity for us.”
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Lascelles joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest in 2015 and is one of the few still there who dropped down and one promotion back from the Championship.
And with so many Champions League newbies in Eddie Howe’s squad, Lascelles will be relying on usual matchday skipper Kieran Trippier more than ever.
The England right-back has played in the competition with both Tottenham and Atletico Madrid.
And Lascelles added: “These are new waters for us. Tripps has played on nights like this and we will lean into him.
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“Stay calm and treat it like another game, that is the best approach.
“I have never dreamed of playing in the Champions League with Newcastle, because we were always in relegation battles and it has always been tough.
“Since Eddie Howe came in and the takeover it has given us hope. From then, that is when you think it is a thing.
“Until then I never thought about it. It was unrealistic, wasn’t it?”
Lascelles was in the headlines for the wrong reasons in August when caught up in a shocking city centre brawl after he and his brother were allegedly attacked.
But his football has been doing the talking over the last week as he helped shut out Manchester City in the Carabao Cup last Wednesday before beating Burnley 2-0 on Saturday.
The Magpies have now kept five straight clean sheets.
And Lascelles said: “I am happy to be back. I am a competitor and want to play but when people are doing well I am mature enough to get behind them and support.
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“I am definitely a lot fitter under the manager. For years I have been used to sitting deep and getting behind the ball.
“Front-foot football can suit certain players and it is working well in this team. My attitude is always to be ready if called upon.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
