With the opening game against West Ham just around the corner, Steve Bruce will now turn his attention to selecting a team he believes will get the Magpies off to a winning start.
Here’s how United will line up against the Hammers at St James’s Park on Sunday – based on how many minutes each player played in pre-season.
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1. GK: Freddie Woodman - 225 minutes played
Reportedly just days away from joining Bournemouth, Freddie Woodman was kept at Newcastle after the club learned the extent of Martin Dubravka’s injury. Despite being absent from the first two games, Woodman started the final four and played the full 90 against Norwich on Saturday. Bruce has confirmed he'll make his Premier League debut versus West Ham. Photo: Ian MacNicol
2. RWB: Jacob Murphy - 425 minutes played
Jacob Murphy played the most minutes of any Newcastle player this pre-season and continued to impress as a wing-back. Photo: Michael Regan
3. CB: Jamaal Lascelles - 267 minutes played
Having featured as both in the middle and on the right of the three, United’s captain has been a regular in pre-season but is yet to complete a full 90 minutes. Photo: Michael Regan
4. CB: Federico Fernandez - 356 minutes played
Arguably Newcastle’s best pure-defender. Fernandez has been a rock-solid feature in the side since his signing on deadline day in 2018 and has impressed during his game time in pre-season. Photo: Charlotte Tattersall