Newcastle United without 19 first-team players as 2023-24 injury issues impact pre-season opener

Newcastle spent last week training at Adidas HQ before ending the camp with a behind-closed-doors practice match against the German third-tier side.

Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak scored to make it 3-0 at half-time before head coach Eddie Howe played a completely different 11 for the second half featuring six players getting their first taste of first-team action, including new signing Odysseas Vlachodimos. Unterhaching pulled a goal back in the second half as Simon Skarlatidis converted from the penalty spot to see the game end 3-1.

Newcastle’s starting line-up was a mostly familiar one with the exception of Jamal Lewis at right-back following a loan spell at Watford last season. Nick Pope started in goal with Emil Krafth, Dan Burn and Lewis Hall completing the back four with Lewis. Murphy, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff, Joe White, Barnes and Isak made up the starting 11.

For the second half, The Magpies fielded a significantly younger side with 19-year-old forward Ben Parkinson captaining the team for the second 45 as the only player to have registered competitive minutes for the club. Vlachodimos played in goal for the first time following his arrival from Nottingham Forest this summer.

Jamie Miley, Ellis Stanton, Jay Turner-Cooke, Garang Kuol and Parkinson were the only players in the second-half line-up to have had previous first-team friendly experience for the club.

17-year-old duo Leo Shahar and Trevan Sanusi and 18-year-old winger Johnny Emerson featured having recently signed their first professional contracts at the club. Under-21s players Cathan Heffernan and Alfie Harrison also featured having signed for the club from AC Milan and Manchester City respectively last season.

But there were 18 first-team players missing from the match on Saturday. Martin Dubravka, Kieran Trippier, Anthony Gordon, Fabian Schar, Bruno Guimaraes and Miguel Almiron are all yet to return for pre-season having represented their respective countries at this summer’s international tournaments. They are due to return later this month.

Here’s why the rest of the first-team squad were unavailable...

Sandro Tonali

Perhaps the most obvious omission from the side in the match as it was widely assumed Tonali would be able to feature in behind-closed-doors matches while he served his 10-month betting ban that expires next month. But the match taking place at a neutral venue and requiring both sides to register it with their respective Football Associations meant the 24-year-old was unable to feature.

It also casts doubt over his availability for the behind-closed-doors friendly at Burnley. But the fact Newcastle have not officially announced the match and it will take place at Burnley’s training ground rather than a neutral venue could allow the Italian to be given a run-out this week.

Sven Botman

The Dutch defender didn’t travel to Germany as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury picked up in March. He is on course to return later this year.

Promisingly, he has been back on the grass this summer.

Jamaal Lascelles

Similar to Botman, the Newcastle captain is out until later this year as he recovers from an ACL injury. He has returned to the training ground this summer to do some light gym work.

Callum Wilson

Despite travelling to Germany, Wilson was ruled out of training and subsequently Saturday’s match due to a back problem.

Eddie Howe confirmed on Friday: “Callum has just gone to see a back specialist just to have a little procedure on his back.

“It’s just something [Wilson] has been feeling a little bit so we’re just getting it checked out.”

There are doubts as to whether the striker will feature this pre-season.

Matt Targett

Targett hasn’t featured in a match for Newcastle since suffering a hamstring injury against Manchester United in November 2023. Almost nine months on and he is still facing fitness issues as he has been recovering from an Achilles issue back on Tyneside.

Tino Livramento

Another player still working his way back to fitness after seeing last season cut short due to an ankle issue. He travelled to Germany but is still getting back up to speed.

Lloyd Kelly

Despite Howe’s insistence that Kelly is ‘fine’, the new signing missed training on Friday and did not feature in the match over the weekend. He is yet to be pictured in full training so far though did travel to Germany.

John Ruddy

The summer signing travelled to Germany and has played a role in pre-season so far but has not featured in a match setting. The 37-year-old is currently behind Pope, Dubravka and Vlachodimos in the pecking order.

Mark Gillespie

Similar to Ruddy, Gillespie is not expected to be in serious contention to feature in any first-team matches this coming season but will continue to play an important role behind the scenes and on the training ground.

Joe Willock

Willock is still recovering after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign which was cut short due to a recurring Achilles issue. He travelled to Germany but is yet to be back involved in a full group training session.

Lewis Miley

The 18-year-old midfielder saw his season cut short due to injury and after recovering, was hit with a fractured metatarsal during the off-season that will rule him out for the opening weeks of the season.

Alex Murphy

The 20-year-old defender impressed in pre-season last summer and even made his Premier League debut last season. But after travelling to Germany, he was not involved in the friendly match.

Harrison Ashby

Ashby’s 2023-24 loan spell at Swansea City was plagued by injury issues before travelled with the Newcastle squad to Australia to feature in the post-season friendly matches in Melbourne. He also travelled to train in Germany but did not feature in the match with Lewis and Miley used out of position at right-back instead.

Up next for Newcastle United

After facing Burnley in a training ground friendly match, Newcastle will travel to face Hull City on Saturday (2pm kick-off) before jetting off to Japan. They will face Urawa Red Diamonds at Saitama Stadium on Wednesday, July 31 (7:30pm kick-off JST) and Yokohama F. Marinos on Saturday, August 3 (7pm kick-off JST).

Newcastle will also host the Sela Weekender at St James’ Park as they face Girona on Friday, August 9 (7:30pm kick-off BST) and Stade Brestois on Saturday, August 10 (4pm kick-off BST).