HUGO Viana will make a personal plea to Newcastle boss Graeme Souness after being denied an emotional return to St James' Park.

Viana's current employers, Newcastle, will meet the team he joined on loan in the summer, Sporting Lisbon, after yesterday's UEFA Cup draw pitted the two sides together in Group D of the competition.

The midfielder endured a tortuous two years on Tyneside after making an £8.5m move from Sporting in June 2002, and would love the chance to remind the club's fans that he was crowned European Young Player of the Year just two years ago.

But he is almost certain to be denied that opportunity after a clause was inserted in his current Sporting contract that specifically prevents him facing Newcastle in any competitive game.

Viana was not allowed to line up against the Magpies in August's Newcastle Gateshead Cup final, and United chairman Freddy Shepherd yesterday confirmed the club's hardline stance.

But, with Souness having arrived at Newcastle after he left, the Portuguese international is hoping the rules will be relaxed under the new regime.

"I told my best friend on Monday that this would happen and he just laughed," said Viana, who is currently preparing to represent Portugal's Under-21 side on Friday night. "I had a strange feeling that Newcastle and Sporting would be in the same group.

"It's an amazing draw and I don't want to miss out. I know what the two clubs agreed in August but that was under Sir Bobby Robson and I know he didn't want me to be involved.

"There is a different coach at the club now and perhaps Mr Souness will allow me to play. I will be appealing to him and the club to let me play against Newcastle.

"Lomana LuaLua was allowed to play for Portsmouth when he found himself in the same situation, so I'm hoping I will be given that opportunity too.

"It is such an important match for me after what happened at Newcastle last season."

Ironically, LuaLua's late equaliser for Portsmouth in February is the very reason why Newcastle are adamant that Viana will not line up against them on either December 15 or 16.

The club were heavily criticised for allowing one of their own players to rob them of two priceless points as they battled to qualify for the Champions League, and the possibility of Viana producing an equally costly intervention is almost certain to keep him on the sidelines at St James'.

The Sporting clash is the last of Newcastle's four UEFA Cup group games and, with three sides progressing from the five-team section, it is possible that both sides could have qualified by the time Viana returns to England.

But, even if this is the case, it is extremely unlikely that the Magpies would allow him to take on his former team-mates.

Yesterday's draw was relatively kind to the Magpies, with Souness' side kicking off their Group D campaign in Greece later this month.

Newcastle will visit Athenian outfit Panionios on Thursday, October 21 - the same night that Middlesbrough are taking on Aigaleo just 30 miles away.

The game will take place in Panionios' 11,700-capacity Nea Smyrni Stadium and, while United will start as favourites, the Greeks proved their ability by knocking out Italian side Udinese in the first round.

Newcastle's first home game will come two weeks later when they host Georgian champions Dinamo Tbilisi --Temuri Ketsbaia's first club - while they visit the final team in the group, French side Sochaux-Montbeliard, on November 25.

"We have got to be pleased with the draw," said Shepherd. "And, when you look at the group we are in, we are the favourites to finish on top.

"Three from five go through to the next stage, so if you win your home games you are in an excellent position.

"Sporting Lisbon came here in the summer and won the pre-season tournament against us, so they will be making a quick return to Tyneside.

"We did well in the UEFA Cup last year and, after going out of the Champions League at the first hurdle, we turned disaster into profit.

"The competition has a new look about it this season but, with two guaranteed home games and the TV rights as well, it's a lucrative competition for us to be playing in."

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