After a very long seven weeks, Newcastle United are back in action.
They face Gateshead in their first pre-season friendly of the summer, as Eddie Howe gets the first chance to see where his players are at ahead of the new campaign.
The Newcastle boss suddenly has a full strength squad available to him. His bigger hitters who had been away on international duty have now reported to the training ground.
The likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak are back, as is Anthony Gordon – less than one week after winning the Under-21 European Championship with England. Sandro Tonali has also met his new teammates for the first time, having returned to Tyneside after a brief break.
Whether or not those players will feature against Gateshead remains to be seen. However, it does feel unlikely.
It will be a chance for other players to impress, and this is the Newcastle XI we expect Howe to go with against Gateshead
No Nick Pope in goal for Newcastle
While Nick Pope is back in training, he is only able to do ball work at the minute after undergoing hand surgery at the end of last season.
That means he will miss the friendly against Gateshead, so we expect Loris Karius to start in between the sticks. He will likely play 45 minutes, with the other half going to either Mark Gillespie or Karl Darlow.
In truth, it is a bit of a lottery guessing who will start in goal for Newcastle.
Whoever is selected, we have tipped an all-English back four to play in front of them, consisting of Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn and Matt Targett.
Chance from the start for Lewis Miley against Gateshead
With Bruno, Joelinton and Tonali only just starting pre-season training and Joe Willock possibly still injured, Howe has limited options in the middle of the park.
Therefore, it could be a Geordie trio in the middle of the park. Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson seem certain to start, and they could be joined by Lewis Miley. The 17-year-old made his debut in the final game of last season, and pre-season is a great chance for the teenager to prove he should remain at the club rather than go out on loan.
Allan Saint-Maximin – the last dance or a fresh start
The future of Allan Saint-Maximin is up in the air right now. He is being heavily linked with a move away from St James’ Park, and could be sold if Harvey Barnes arrives.
A lot of fans would like him to stay, but it does not look likely right now.
He will hopefully feature against Gateshead, although it could prove to be one of his last ever appearances in a Newcastle shirt. Fingers crossed that is not the case.
Predicted XI vs Gateshead: Karius; Trippier, Lascelles, Burn, Targett; Miley, Longstaff, Anderson; Ritchie, Murphy, Saint-Maximin.
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