Eddie Howe will be hoping to hand out some Newcastle United debuts against Aston Villa on Saturday.
The new Premier League season is set to start, with Newcastle facing Aston Villa at Villa Park.
There are multiple new signings ready to represent the Magpies against Unai Emery’s side, with Anthony Elanga, Aaron Ramsdale and Malick Thiaw joining the club.
Newcastle are set to sign Jacob Ramsey too, with the midfielder undergoing a medical ahead of his £40million move from Aston Villa.
But could he make his Newcastle United debut against what will soon be his former club?
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Jacob Ramsey will not sign for Newcastle United in time to face Aston Villa
As it stands, Ramsey is not officially a Newcastle United player yet. A deal is going to be completed, but he must be registered before 12pm to be involved in Saturday’s game.
That will not happen, with Eddie Howe confirming during his pre-match press conference that the midfielder will not be available for Newcastle against Aston Villa.
Instead, that means that his Newcastle United debut will likely be at St James’ Park against Liverpool on 25th August. That is probably for the best, as it will give him a week of training with his new teammates.
It also means that Ramsey will avoid an awkward return to Villa Park, just 24 hours after leaving the club he joined at the age of six.
Malick Thiaw could make his Newcastle United debut against Aston Villa
While there will be no Ramsey debut against Aston Villa, there is a chance that Elanga, Ramsdale and Thiaw will feature.
They are all going to be in the Newcastle United squad, but Elanga is the only one who is tipped to start.
Thiaw only joined the club this week, but is going to be part of the group that travels to the West Midlands.
During his pre-match press conference, Howe spoke about Thiaw’s potential involvement.
Howe said: “Malick [Thiaw] will be part of the squad, he has trained two days, never easy coming in at the end of pre-season, but he’s doing well.”
The 24-year-old will be on the bench, with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn poised to start at centre-back.
Howe will take his time with Thiaw, as he so often does with new signings. It is rare that new recruits are thrust straight into the starting XI, and Thiaw will have to bide his time before becoming a Newcastle United regular.
But that is the goal, with the German centre-back tipped to become Sven Botman’s long-term partner in defence.
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