Newcastle United are set for their first pre-season friendly of the summer on Saturday, but Eddie Howe will not have a full-strength squad to choose from.
While the likes of Sean Longstaff and Allan Saint-Maximin have returned to training, a lot of Newcastle‘s big hitters are yet to report back to the training ground.
Kieran Trippier is the only player who is already back despite being on international duty after the Premier League season ended. Newcastle’s other internationals were given extended breaks, including new signing Sandro Tonali.
However, it now looks like those players are returning. Bruno Guimaraes informed fans he was flying back to Tyneside, while Joelinton filmed a video of himself driving past St James’ Park.
The boys are back in town, as is our £55million signing.
Sandro Tonali returns to Newcastle
When Tonali spoke to the club’s media, he admitted that it was annoying how long he was having to wait to meet his new teammates. But that wait could soon be over.
The 23-year-old midfielder has been spotted back in the North East. He posed for a picture with a fan on Thursday night, while his partner uploaded a picture to her Instagram story looking out onto the Tyne Bridge.
With Tonali now back in Newcastle, It is not going to be long before he officially starts training with his new club. Hopefully that happens as soon as possible, as he aims to make an immediate impression with his latest employers.
There must be an official date for when Newcastle’s internationals begin training, which would explain why the likes of Bruno and Joelinton have returned at the same time.
They will not return in time to feature against Gateshead on Saturday, but it would be great to see them cheering on their teammates at the Gateshead International Stadium. After that it is a trip to Glasgow to face Rangers on July 18th. That could be the first chance to see Tonali play for the Magpies – although even that might be too early.
If not then, it will come when Howe takes his team to America at the end of July.
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