Matt Targett is set to get a runout for Newcastle United this pre-season.placeholder image
Matt Targett is set to get a runout for Newcastle United this pre-season. | Getty Images
Newcastle United are set to hand several fringe players an opportunity to impress next month.
Newcastle’s first-team squad, with the exception of international players, are set to return to Darsley Park for training on July 7 ahead of a packed pre-season schedule.
The Magpies first pre-season game will see them travel to Celtic Park to face Celtic on July 19 (3pm kick-off). They have also planned a behind closed doors training camp in Europe before they jet off to Singapore to play Premier League rivals Arsenal on July 27.
Newcastle then fly to South Korea to face a K League XI on July 30 before ending their Asia tour with a match against Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul on August 3.
Back in England, Newcastle end pre-season with a Sela Weekender double header against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid on August 8 and August 9 respectively before their Premier League season gets underway the following weekend at Aston Villa on August 16 (12:30pm kick-off).
For now, there’s a lot of eyes on Newcastle’s first pre-season friendly at Celtic and whether there will be any new faces on show for the match against the Scottish Premiership champions. The Magpies’ last visit to Glasgow saw Sandro Tonali on show for the first time in black and white against Rangers in pre-season.
Newcastle are hoping to secure another marquee signing in the coming weeks as they prepare to return to Champions League football once again.
But a mixture of injuries, international players and limited transfer activity could see some fringe players get the nod at Celtic Park.
Matt Targett set for pre-season opportunity
With Lewis Hall injured and Tino Livramento away with England Under-21s, left-back Matt Targett could see himself as Newcastle’s starting left-back as pre-season gets underway.
Targett hasn’t started a Premier League game for Newcastle in almost two years and has had his past couple of campaigns blighted by injury. Even his 2024/25 season was cut short due to a hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old joined Newcastle in 2022 for £15million from Aston Villa after an impressive loan spell. Three years and seven Premier League starts later, The Magpies are willing to offload Targett this summer as he heads into the final year of his contract at St James’ Park.
But first he will get the chance to prove his fitness and impress in pre-season, with Hall and Livramento set to be out for the Celtic match.
Tino Livramento eyeing European Championship glory
Livramento has been away with England at the Under-21 European Championships in Slovakia this month and has enjoyed a strong tournament playing at both left-back and and right-back for Lee Carsley’s side.
The 22-year-old is preparing to face Germany in the final on Saturday evening (8pm kick-off) as England look to retain their Under-21 Euro crown.
Livramento will be given an extended break in July before joining up with the squad later in the month.
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Lewis Hall injury update
Hall has been out since the end of February for Newcastle following a serious foot injury that required surgery. The 20-year-old had enjoyed an excellent season for The Magpies before his injury and would have likely been part of the England Under-21s squad with Livramento had he not been injured.
Instead, he is stepping up his recovery in an attempt to get back playing before the end of pre-season. He is likely to miss the opening friendly match at Celtic.
"With any injury, especially a long-term one, it's so up in the air," Hall told the club website. "Some people can come back quicker, some people take a bit longer. It all depends on how everything goes.
"For me, my aim is to be fit and ready to go for the first game of the season, but to do that, I'd like to have a few pre-season games as well beforehand."
Matt Targett Celtic transfer link
Targett’s potential return to the side at Celtic comes after he was linked with a move to the Scottish club during the 2023/24 season. Celtic have since signed Kieran Tierney at left-back so are unlikely to make an attempt to sign Targett this summer.
Especially as Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, who has also previously been linked with a move to Celtic, rubbished the claims at the time.
Howe was asked by Sky Sports whether Celtic had made an enquiry for Targett back in January 2024 when the defender was still injured.
But Howe went strong with his response: "No, incorrect, you're way off. Matt is injured and has still got some way to go in his injury. He's also a big part of what we're doing here."
The Magpies boss then laughed: "I think you're making things up, to be honest!"
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