Newcastle United's pre-season preparations will get under way next week
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Newcastle United's players and staff are returning to Tyneside on Monday as preparations begin for yet another Champions League push - and perhaps even a title tilt - with Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall at the helm.
In exactly two weeks' time, the north east outfit will head to Celtic Park for their first friendly of the summer but before then, there is plenty for the backroom staff to discuss.
Futures are hanging in the balance, incoming and outgoing deals will, hopefully, be struck and the unsung team behind the scenes will be seeking to ensure United start their summer in the best possible way.
So, what exactly is on Howe's to-do list when he returns from his well-earned break early on Monday?
Big names return and prep starts
While the majority of Newcastle stars will return to Benton on Monday, there will be some notable absentees as those on international duty of late enjoy an extended break. Big names such as Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento and William Osula have been granted additional leave, while available senior stars will be put through their paces in front of Howe, head of performance Dan Hodges and performance director James Bunce.
Howe has often sought to keep pre-season training plans relatively consistent with an 'if isn't broken, don't fix it' mantra. Players were given individual and carefully crafted summer training plans after the final game of the season, with senior stars seen spending parts of their break on the training pitch in various corners of the world.
Individual training is expected to take precedence in the first days of pre-season, with plenty of gym work planned. Expectations for the season will also be discussed in the weeks to come.
Meanwhile, Newcastle will seek to best protect the stars returning from injury. Joelinton is set to return to full training as early as next week after a knee problem, while Lewis Hall is back on the grass but likely won't be fully fit until the latter stage of pre-season.
Time to bed transfers in?
Two weeks and counting until we see Newcastle back in action north of the border. By then, will we see some fresh faces through the door? Well, for the sake of an anxious fanbase, we certainly hope so...
With 14 days before the first friendly of the season, Newcastle have finally started making moves. Anthony Elanga and James Trafford progress has been made in recent weeks, with Howe keen to strengthen at both ends of the pitch.
Fees are yet to be agreed with Nottingham Forest and Burnley, respectively, but the Magpies remain in negotiations and confidence is growing over moves. A combined £85m looks as though it will be enough to land both key targets.
Meanwhile, United have started to look abroad for defensive targets, keeping a close eye on Malick Thiaw of AC Milan and Giorgio Scalvini of Atalanta.
There is hope, internally, that some exciting arrivals could be introduced before Newcastle jet off to South Korea and Singapore later this month.
The players fighting for their future
While all eyes will be on the returns of Alexander Isak and Sandro Tonali in the coming weeks, there will be forgotten faces also back on Tyneside with their futures hanging in the balance. Howe, as he often does, will use pre-season to weed out exactly who will and won't be making his 25-man Premier League squad in August.
Players like Harrison Ashby and Joe White, both shipped out on loan last season and approaching a crossroads in their career, will both be back at Benton come next week. Odysseas Vlachodimos, Matt Targett, Garang Kuol and Alex Murphy will also be wondering what their future holds.
This is the perfect time for some of United's youngsters to really kick on, however. In summers past, Howe has allowed Trevan Sanusi, Alfie Harrison and the aforementioned Murphy to really lay down a marker when it comes to their first-team credentials.
Last summer also saw Jamie Miley afforded first-team minutes, while Matty Bondswell - now at Peterborough Sports - was the standout youth star in Howe's first pre-season on Tyneside.
Who will stand up and be counted this time? And can any of the more senior stars salvage a future despite looking set to leave?