Newcastle have enjoyed a solid pre-season so far with comfortable wins against Gateshead and 1860 Munich followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mainz 05 in Austria. They also got the better of Championship side Burnley in a training match in Portugal over the weekend.
They now prepare for arguably their toughest pre-season test against last season’s Champions League quarter-finalists Benfica at Estadio da Luz.
Pre-season presents an ideal opportunity for Howe to experiment and mix the team up, making predicting the side’s starting line-up almost impossible.
But given the level of opposition and the Eusebio Cup being on the table, Howe will be looking to start with a strong side.
Pre-season presents an ideal opportunity for Howe to experiment and mix the team up, making predicting the side’s starting line-up almost impossible.