Head coach Eddie Howe says it was his decision not to start Anthony Gordon against Barcelona after the unwell Newcastle United forward was criticised by pundits.
Gordon was criticised by a number of figures in the game – including Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Roy Keane – having not been in the starting line-up for the first leg of Newcastle's Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona on Tuesday.
Shearer, speaking before it was known that Gordon had missed training, said it would take "something extraordinary" to stop him starting such a momentous fixture.