NEWCASTLE UNITED may be heading in to a quarter-final test with Benfica in the Europa League tomorrow night, but January buy Moussa Sissoko is not willing to think this could be the Premier League club's year just yet.

It is 44 years since Newcastle won the Fairs Cup by defeating Hungary's Ujpest over two legs after progressing beyond another Portuguese club, Vitoria de Setubal, at the last-eight stage of the competition.

And while Sissoko, part of an 19-man squad which arrived in Lisbon yesterday, has only been at St James' Park since a £1.8m move from Toulouse two months ago, he is already well aware of the trophy drought which exists on Tyneside.

More than 3,000 Newcastle supporters are expected out here in the next 48 hours to watch the first leg with the Portuguese league leaders in the hope of seeing a big step towards a semi-final spot taken.

But, despite knowing the return leg will be in the North-East seven days later, Sissoko has warned about complacency against a Benfica team sitting four points clear of Porto in Liga ZON Sagres with six matches remaining.

“Benfica are a great team,” he said. “Year in, year out they finish first or second in the Portuguese league and are regulars in the Champions League. They have some quality players and it will be a very difficult match for us.

“I'm very happy to be still involved in the Europa League at the quarter-final stage. I was fortunate to play in it with my former club.

“As a player you want to be involved at European level – especially in the later stages of the competition. But we are taking each match as it comes. The competition gets really interesting when it gets down to the closing stages. It's exciting for all of us.

“Of course we want to do as well as we can but there are some great teams left in the competition. I include Benfica among those. There is also Chelsea and Tottenham, but we are capable of beating any of them.”

It will not be the first time Sissoko has taken on Benfica, but is expecting things to be a lot different when Portugal's very own Stadium of Light, Estadio de Luz, is full to capacity tomorrow night.

He said: “I played against Benfica for Toulouse in a friendly match. I know what great players that they have. I am well aware of the history of Benfica. But in football anything is possible.

“We are going to go over there without too much pressure because of their great qualities. We must forget about that and just concentrate on our own game and play to our strengths.”

Sissoko's French team-mate Massadio Haidara did not travel with the Newcastle squad to Portugal yesterday despite progress on his knee problem sustained in the horror tackle from Wigan's Callum McManaman a little more than two weeks.

Neither Fabricio Coloccini nor Hatem Ben Arfa have travelled to the Portuguese capital, although the latter could make a surprise return to the training pitch before Sunday's visit of Fulham to St James' Park.

But fit-again goalkeeper Tim Krul is in contention to face Benfica after missing the last seven games with an ankle injury.

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