Burn calls on Newcastle to embrace gritty wins ahead of Bilbao showdown

Dan Burn has called on Newcastle to embrace victories that are not always pretty as they gear up to take on Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Eddie Howe's team will welcome Bilbao to St James Park aiming to recover from a disappointing 3-1 loss to struggling West Ham in the Premier League at the weekend.

The feeble defeat in east London has prolonged Newcastle's poor run in away domestic matches, yet they can put those tough recollections behind them with a win against Bilbao.

Newcastle's defender Burn feels his squad must display greater determination during challenging moments, instead of depending solely on their technical ability to escape difficulties.

"It boils down to mindset. The manager will review that and I am certain he will devise a strategy for improving and securing victories," Burn said to journalists on Tuesday.

"We might need to get a bit more gritty at times. When playing away, it is sometimes key not just to avoid defeat, gather points and maintain momentum.

"Provided you secure home wins and stay unbeaten on the road, that is preferable. However we have not managed that sufficiently."

Bilbao will be without the key Williams brothers Inaki and Nico, while Howe will decide late on whether captain Bruno Guimaraes can feature after he trained separately from the squad on Tuesday due to feeling unwell.

Howe recognises the vital nature of this Bilbao match for Newcastle's chances of advancing to the knockout stages.

Having triumphed in two of their opening three fixtures in this year's competition, the Magpies have demanding away games against Marseille and Bayer Leverkusen to come in the league phase.

"This is a crucial match for us given the challenges ahead in the Champions League. That does not mean it will be straightforward though," he commented.

"We return home where we thrive as we often mention, but Athletic Club will pose a formidable challenge.

"They form a solid defensive unit with impressive statistics this season. Without possession they have produced some outstanding displays in particular.

"In response our forward play must reach peak levels, and naturally Champions League evenings at this venue are always memorable."