Eddie Howe admits 25-year-old is ‘slightly behind’ the rest of the Newcastle team

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Harvey Barnes is playing catch-up with his Newcastle United teammates as they prepare for the new Premier League season to begin next month.

That is the view of manager Eddie Howe, who believes that Newcastle‘s newest signing is ‘slightly behind’ the rest of the group in terms of sharpness and readiness.

Barnes has only been a Newcastle player for a few days now, and made a 20 minute cameo in the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa. Howe was pleased with the 25-year-old, and will be eager to see more from his latest recruit – possibly against Chelsea tonight.

But with just over two weeks until the new Premier League season begins, Howe has admitted that Barnes is not quite as ready for the 2023/24 campaign as the rest of his teammates.

Harvey Barnes is ‘slightly behind’ his Newcastle teammates

Howe has spoke to the media ahead of Newcastle’s Premier League Summer Series clash with Chelsea. During the press conference, which is available on the club’s YouTube channel, Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie asked the Toon boss where Barnes was in terms of his preparation for the new season.

“I’d say he’s probably slightly behind where our lads are at the moment,” he said.

“Only because there was a period of five or six days where he was training on his own. You can do the fitness work but you lose a bit of sharpness with the ball.

“I think in two, three, four days he will be in a really good place with us if he joins in with the group sessions. And of course now we have a period of two games in quick succession so we hope that will certainly help get him ready.”

Friendlies will help Barnes become sharper

While Barnes may have lost some sharpness due to training on his own while his Newcastle transfer was being sorted out, it hopefully won’t take him long to get back to speed.

As Howe says, he has still been able to do the fitness work. In fact, he has actually been in training a week longer than the rest of the Newcastle team. That is because Leicester started earlier following relegation to the Championship.

With the Magpies playing Chelsea and Brighton in quick succession, it is an immediate chance for Barnes to get up to speed. Hopefully Howe will give him an extended runout in at least one of the games.

That is what fans want, with the Toon Army eager to see the new signing in action.

He will be keen to raise his levels and reach the same standard as his new teammates, otherwise he might struggle to get in Howe’s starting XI for the first game of the season against Aston Villa on August 12th.