Bobby Robson has got a lot of things wrong in his 14 weeks since returning to Tyneside, players' names and match scorelines among them, but where it matters he has been conspicuously successful.

Newcastle United are unbeaten in seven home matches since his arrival, having lost two of the previous three under Ruud Gullit. However, victory tonight against the team who top Serie A would take Robson and Newcastle to a level beyond regeneration.

Even an ultimately futile win such as 2-1, which would see Roma progress on the away goal, would offer evidence that Newcastle's squad transformation from bitter introspection to confident respectability is complete. Yet Robson said yesterday that because of injuries he was still unable to select his favoured first XI, although there was surprisingly good news in that Kieron Dyer has been named in tonight's squad six weeks after limping away from the victory over Derby.

Duncan Ferguson has a niggling calf strain, although as Robson said: "It didn't stop him leaping five feet over the hoarding to celebrate his goal." Robson's dilemma is whether to start Ferguson or leave him for a 20-minute charge at the end. Robson's opposite number Fabio Capello has even greater reason to be cheerful. Before beating Newcastle in the first leg Roma thrashed Lazio 4-1, and they have maintained their winning and scoring form, putting three past Lecce at the weekend.

Capello is expected to begin with an attacking formation in which Marco Delvecchio's speed on the break may well be pivotal.