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Rio Ferdinand thinks Newcastle will be 'delighted' to have finished bottom of the Champions League group and been dumped out of Europe – but Jermaine Jenas thinks otherwise.
The Magpies' Champions League dream ended on Wednesday evening after they lost 2-1 to AC Milan at St James' Park.
The result saw them finish bottom of their group on their long-awaited return to the competition, despite being on the verge of clinching their place in the knockout stages at one point in the match.
Newcastle led the Italian giants through a sublime strike from Joelinton in the first half, but an equalizer from Christian Pulisic and a later winner from Samuel Chukwueze sent Eddie Howe's depleted side crashing out.
Howe said after the match that he was 'absolutely devastated not to go through' and praised his injury-hit team for almost qualifying for the last 16. However, Ferdinand believes Newcastle finishing bottom will be a blessing in disguise, given the increasing injury problems.
Rio Ferdinand (left) and Jermaine Jenas (right) have different opinions on Newcastle's exit from the Champions League
Newcastle were dumped out of the Champions League after finishing bottom of the group
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“Eddie Howe and the players can't say this, but I guarantee you now that they will be happy, I think, not to go to the Europa League because of the amount of injuries they have suffered,” Ferdinand told TNT. Sport. “Kieran Trippier has just limped past us here – and some of them are for the medium to long term.
“It makes it very difficult to compete on many fronts in different competitions when your team is so worn out.
'They need to get these players fit again, and with more and more games it is becoming increasingly unlikely that those players will get fit again.'
Newcastle are currently without seven first-team players as Jacob Murphy, Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Elliot Anderson, Joe Willock, Harvey Barnes, Javier Manquillo and Matt Targett are all injured.
This has led to the Magpies being tested in all competitions and while Ferdinand believes no European football will be better in the long term, Jenas insists Europa League football is another great way to get back to Champions League nights on Tyneside.
'It's one of them. “If it's in the top five and they get into the Champions League (next season), great, but if they get into the Europa League you get another chance,” Jenas said.
Eddie Howe admitted he was 'devastated not to progress' to the knockout stages
'I think with the competition coming from all the clubs around them, from Villa, Spurs and United, there will be a lot of teams fighting for places in the Champions League again.
'I think the Europa League would have been good for them to get that experience.
'That was the feeling I got from Eddie Howe – that European football would have been better for their experience, but I understand Rio's point that they are down to the wire. '