Steve Bruce addresses contractual situation

Newcastle United told this afternoon’s opponents Manchester United that Longstaff was not for sale in the summer after the club enquired about the midfielder’s availability.

Longstaff signed a new deal keeping him at St James’s Park until 2022 late last year before he made his Premier League debut, and the club pledged to draw up a new contract following his first-team breakthrough. The 21-year-old, for his part, is focused on rediscovering his form after recovering from knee and ankle injuries.

And head coach Bruce said: “There is no problem there, contract-wise. The thing for him now is forget contracts, forget his knee injury, forget Man Utd – it’s about playing well for us now and getting back to playing like we know he’s capable (of playing).”

Meanwhile, Longstaff’s younger brother Matty, 19, could be handed his Premier League debut against Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s side at St James’s Park.