Newcastle United training photos: Four things we spotted - including Eddie Howe’s hands-on role and Santiago Munoz’s first-team call-up

The Magpies find themselves in the middle of a seven game unbeaten run and know that they can close the gap with 10th placed Brighton to just five points with a win at the weekend.

As Eddie Howe puts his side through their paces in preparation for the Seagulls, Newcastle United released some photos of their training session which have provided some interesting insights.

Here, we take a look at four things we spotted from the photos released by the club:

Munoz in training

One of the first things to note is that Santiago Munoz is training with the first-team, six-months after he joined the club from Mexican side Santos Laguna.

Munoz made his first start for the Under-23’s against Norwich City earlier this week, although he lasted just 45 minutes before being taken off at half-time.

Callum Wilson’s long-term injury means Newcastle have just Chris Wood and Dwight Gayle as recognised strikers - could this call-up to first-team training mean that Munoz may be an option for the Magpies in the near future?

Howe’s hands-on role

From the moment he was appointed, Newcastle supporters have lauded any and every training video put out by the club.

These videos usually show the head coach right in the thick of the action and dictating the sessions - and the new training photos are no different.

It has been evident from their recent run of games that Howe and his team are in-sync and that everyone knows their responsibilities when they go out onto the pitch.

This understanding can only come from regular work on the training ground and it is very revealing to see just how hands-on Howe is during the sessions.

Clark’s influence

Despite not being named as part of Newcastle’s 25-man Premier League squad, Ciaran Clark is still seemingly playing a big role in training.

Clark is ineligible to feature for the Magpies again this season, but his role in training does highlight that the defender remains an influential figure behind the scenes.

Major absentees

Possibly the most interesting reveal of the Newcastle United training gallery is the players that haven’t been pictured.

The most obvious omission is Allan Saint-Maximin who is continuing his recovery from a calf injury which has kept him out of the last two matchday squads.

Saint-Maximin revealed that he is back on Tyneside having flown to France last week to receive treatment for his injury.

Howe revealed last week that he hoped the Frenchman would be fit for the clash with Brighton: “We’re now keeping our fingers crossed, and hoping we can get him ready for next week. I think he’ll be a lot closer for that [Brighton] game.”

Also missing from training was defender Fabian Schar. Alongside new signing Dan Burn, Schar has been in great form and has become an integral part of the way Howe wants his side to play.

The reason for Schar’s absence is unknown at this point but supporters will be hoping that there are no injury concerns and that the 30-year-old will be able to face the Seagulls on Saturday.

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