19 Newcastle United players absent and surprise ‘captain’ during 3-2 win at Gateshead

19 first-team players absent for Newcastle United

The first game of pre-season often throws up some unorthodox starting line-ups and matchday squads and Saturday’s opener for Newcastle at Gateshead was no different.

Aside from Kieran Trippier, United’s international players didn’t return to training until the day before the match and weren’t included in the squad as a result. Martin Dubravka, Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Garang Kuol, Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and new signing Sandro Tonali were not involved though the majority watched the match from the stands.

Nick Pope, Emil Krafth and Joe Willock all missed the match with confirmed injuries while Paul Dummett, Jamaal Lascelles, Jacob Murphy and Kelland Watts were also absent.

Out of favour first-team players Ryan Fraser, Isaac Hayden and Jeff Hendrick won’t play a part in pre-season as they train away from the first-team.

In total, 19 eligible first-team players were missing from the Newcastle matchday squad.

Working out Newcastle United’s formation

When the team news dropped at 11:30, there was some confusion as to how Eddie Howe’s side would line up. The Magpies named Trippier, Matt Ritchie, Jamal Lewis, Matt Targett, Javier Manquillo and Dan Burn - six players capable of playing in the full-back positions - in the starting XI.

Newcastle handed a non-competitive first-team debut to Remi Savage at centre-back alongside Burn. Manquillo and Targett started at right-back and left-back respectively, with a midfield three of Trippier, Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson.

Newcastle kept their usual 4-3-3 shape with Ritchie right-wing, Lewis left-wing and Saint-Maximin through the middle in torrential conditions.

United’s start to the match was as disjointed as their line-up, as they created a couple of openings only to squander them, while also letting Gateshead in at the back.

Ritchie came close early on while Saint-Maximin saw an effort well saved by Archie Mair. Longstaff and Lewis both squandered good chances from inside the box.

The Heed took the lead early on as Marcus Dinanga capitalised on a Sean Longstaff error to stroke the ball past Karl Darlow. Newcastle later shifted formation with Trippier reverting to right-back, Ritchie going into midfield and Manquillo moving up to right-wing.

Newcastle United’s stars watch on

Over £300million worth of Newcastle players were at the International Stadium but not included in the matchday squad on Saturday afternoon. Latest signing Tonali was sat alongside his new team-mates in a box at the International Stadium.

The Italian was joined by Newcastle’s recently-returning international players Joelinton, Guimaraes, Wilson, Botman, Gordon, Isak and Schar. Dummett, Lascelles, Krafth and Murphy were also present, though, there was no sign of Dubravka, Almiron or Willock.

And Newcastle could have done with a few of them on the pitch as they struggled at both ends against non-league opposition. On the stroke of half-time, Ste Wearne broke through on goal and found the net at the second attempt after initially being denied by a charging Darlow.

Two goals down at the break, a disjointed Newcastle side had it all to do in order to try and turn things around in the second half.

But the torrential conditions with thunder and lightning meant the players didn’t return outside after the break as many fans in the uncovered away end also left at the break as a ‘sell-out’ crowd of 7,200 started to look quite sparse for the second 45.

Elliot Anderson sparks Newcastle into life

Within five minutes of the restart, Newcastle pulled a goal back as Anderson remained composed under pressure and found the net. From that point on, United were on the front foot as they pushed forward and soon found an equaliser.

Anderson linked-up with Saint-Maximin to set up the Frenchman for a simple finish into an empty net to make it 2-2. Moments after substitute goalkeeper Loris Karius released the winger who brilliantly found Anderson only for the young midfielder’s close-range effort to be saved by Mair.

The extra bit of quality and fitness was starting to shine through for Howe’s side.

Eddie Howe gives youth a chance

Just as Newcastle established a clear foothold in the game, Howe started making the wholesale changes you expect from early pre-season matches.

Harrison Ashby made his first appearance for the first-team as he came off the bench on the 65 minute mark along with Under-21s players Lucas De Bolle, Joe White, Lewis Miley and Ben Parkinson.

Michael Ndiweni, Jay Turner-Cooke and Charlie Wiggett were introduced shortly after as Newcastle ended the match with an XI more reminiscent of their second string side with the addition of Burn switching over to left-back and Karius in goal.

But the young Magpies were still able to get the job done as some good work from Miley set up Turner-Cooke to make it 3-2.

A moment of class late on as Dan Burn is withdrawn

Newcastle’s outfield was made up entirely of under-21 players when Jamie Miley replaced Dan Burn for the final eight minutes of normal time. Burn handed the midfielder the captain’s armband for the closing stages.

But instead of putting the armband on himself, Jamie went over to his younger brother Lewis and handed him the armband. At just 17-years-old, Newcastle’s youngest ever Premier League player was now wearing the captain’s armband in a first-team match - albeit a friendly.

Next up is a trip to Ibrox to face Rangers where a more experienced first-team squad is expected to be involved.