It started to appear, here in the stadium where they have recently had no fans, that we had a match in the offing with no stars, until Shearer stepped into the breach and offered a reminder that Rivaldo, the Brazilian playmaker, provides the greatest danger to Newcastle’s chances of reaching the Uefa Cup quarter-finals.

“Great players may eventually lose their legs,” Shearer, at 34 two years older than Rivaldo, said. “I don’t know if this is the case with Rivaldo, but they never lose their football brain. With his experience he will be as dangerous as ever. This is the way we have to look at it. If not he will punish us. I have seen enough of him to know he is still hungry and has the class to cause any defence problems with free kicks around the box. Give him time and space and you are in trouble. We must keep him quiet first.”

Shearer watched Rivaldo score against Liverpool on television in December to take Olympiakos to the verge of qualification for the European Cup knockout stages. The former Barcelona maverick missed the Greek league leaders’ 1-1 draw away to PAOK Salonika on Sunday with an ankle injury, but Bajevic suggested that he would be fit this evening. “I believe so,” he said. “He’s a footballer with a big personality who has helped our club a lot already and will continue to help our club in the future.”

There were more crowd disturbances in Salonika on Sunday and supporters’ hostilities have led to severe domestic sanctions against Olympiakos. They must again play behind closed doors in Sunday’s derby match against AEK Athens and they have been without support at the Karaiskakis Stadium for more than three months. So a passionate and partisan crowd will be itching to stretch their vocal chords when they are allowed back in to see their team play.

“We haven’t seen our fans for a long time in this ground,” Bajevic, finally cracking a smile, said, “but the following for our team is really passionate and our supporters have helped us a lot in our championship games and also our other European games. We hope they will help us again.”

Olympiakos have won ten and drawn one of their 11 league games at home this season and won all four of their European games at the 33,500-capacity stadium 1-0. Since Newcastle have scored in every European tie this season and have a 100 per cent record on their continental travels, either the immoveable object or the all-powerful force will have to compromise tonight.

“I can’t wait,” Shearer said. “Any player worth his salt would want to play in this tie. There is nothing better than silencing support like they have. It is the toughest draw we could have got. They are so strong at home. But we are here to win. We are not just here to get an away goal, trying to survive. We have won all our away ties and they have won their home ties. Something is going to give.”

Graeme Souness will bring Andy O’Brien back into defence, because Jean-Alain Boumsong is ineligible, while Aaron Hughes will deputise at left back for Celestine Babayaro, who has a knee injury. Patrick Kluivert is expected to partner Shearer up front while Laurent Robert, who has played a key role in the team’s five successive victories since reclaiming a starting position, has thanked the Newcastle supporters for keeping faith in him and suggested that the club might like to offer him a new contract.

“It is great for me to hear the supporters chanting my name,” the winger, whose contract expires at the end of next season, said. “It gets inside my head. There have been times when I have been unhappy because I have not been playing. The fans helped me get through a difficult period.

“I came to Newcastle because I wanted to help them win the first trophy for ages. We came so close in the Uefa Cup last season and it would be nice to go to the final this time. I have one more year left at Newcastle after the end of this season and I want to stay because I love the club and the area. I would love to start contract talks as soon as possible. Why not now?” It can be good to talk.

OLYMPIAKOS (possible; 3-5-1-1): A Nikopolidis — G Schürrer, G Anatolakis, A Kostoulas — D Mavrogenidis, M Maric, I Stoltidis, P Djordjevic, G Georgatos — Rivaldo — Y Okkas.

NEWCASTLE UNITED (probable; 4-4-2): S Given — S Carr, A O’Brien, T Bramble, A Hughes — K Dyer, A Faye, N Butt, L Robert — P Kluivert, A Shearer.

Referee: A D Ibañez (Spain).

TELEVISION: Live coverage on Five, from 4.45pm (kick-off 5pm).

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