Hjulmand ahead of #B04NEW: ‘Take the next big step’

"The wins in Lisbon and Manchester gave us a boost in this competition. We want to take the next big step tomorrow," emphasised Kasper Hjulmand at his press conference on Tuesday afternoon. "We're playing in the Champions League, in our stadium, in front of our fans - the anticipation is huge."

Newcastle with Woltemade "physically strong"

With nine points, the visitors from the north-east of England currently have one more point than the Werkself. The Magpies have benefited from having Nick Woltemade in their ranks since the summer. When asked, Hjulmand attested to the Germany striker's "impressive technical qualities and great quality in the opposition's box". Werkself player Jarell Quansah went head-to-head with Woltemade in the final of the U21 European Championship in the summer, in which England beat Germany 3-2. His impression of the 1.98-metre-tall giant: "His game may look a little unorthodox, but you dare not let him out of your sight. He can have a very big impact."

When quizzed on the defensive mistakes in the 2-0 defeat at Augsburg last weekend, Hjulmand replied that he wants his team to build on the successful, convincing performances of the previous weeks. The 53-year-old: "We have to stick to our principles. That will be very important against Newcastle. They have a lot of power and are good at pressing in attack." Quansah agreed with his coach: "They're a physically strong side, it will be demanding. But we want to win here at home, get our fans behind us and give them the win so they can celebrate together. That's what I want for them."

sick bay becoming emptier - "feeling positive" about Grimaldo

In the final training session right before the press conference, all the players apart from Exequiel Palacios took part, including Lucas Vázquez, Ezequiel Fernández and Alejandro Grimaldo. According to Hjulmand, the latter "looked good yesterday and today, so we're feeling positive". With regard to Vázquez and Fernández, the Dane explained that "there's a difference between being injury-free and being ready to play. Both are training fully. We'll see when they're back in the squad."

While the question of whether the aforementioned players will be involved remains open, Quansah will surely play against Newcastle. When asked about the development of his defender so far, who recently made his first senior international appearance for England, Hjulmand explained: "He's a young player with enormous potential. Even though he's already playing at a very high level, he can still do a lot more." Big Champions League nights in the BayArena like these, where the Werkself can secure a third consecutive win in Europe's premier club competition, are sure to drive Quansah and his teammates' development in the right direction.