Newcastle United latest news: Newcastle United U21’s get their National League Cup campaign underway against Gateshead tonight.
Diarmuid O’Carroll’s side were then beaten on penalties by Altrincham to see them fall at the quarter-final stage. The 2024/25 season was the inaugural version of the competition which sees Premier League and Championship youth teams take on non-league opponents.
Leeds United U21’s, who finished below Newcastle United in the group stage, went on to win the cup with victory over Sutton United in the final.
Newcastle United will take on Boston United, Scunthorpe United, Halifax Town as well as Gateshead in the group stages. None of the U21 teams will face each other in the group stage with all four teams playing each of the non-league sides once, away from home, in the group stage.
The Magpies defeated Gateshead 4-2 in a stunning game back in January and will be searching for another win this evening. However, unlike that day, they will not have a permanent lead coach in the dugout at the Gateshead International Stadium.
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That’s because O’Carroll left the club earlier this summer to take up a role with Sparta Prague and his successor has yet to be named. Former Sunderland coach Robbie Stockdale will take the reins as interim manager and is reportedly among the candidates to take up the role permanently.
Newcastle United U21 v Gateshead team news
Newcastle United Under-21’s get their Premier League 2 campaign underway on Sunday with a clash against Southampton at Whitley Park. Tonight, though, will serve as good preparation for that game against senior opposition.
Eddie Howe was able to see a few U21 players in action during pre-season and there will be some in action tonight just south of the river that will be keen to again showcase what they can do and impress Howe and his coaching staff. Sean Neave and Leo Shahar were given brief chances to impress this summer, whilst Trevan Sanusi caught the eye last year, but an injury prevented him from breaking into the senior set-up last season.
All three of those start tonight, as does Garang Kuol amid uncertainty over his future at the club. The young Australian endured difficult loan spells away at Hearts and FC Volendam, but impressed in the academy set-up last season.
Speaking about his future to ESPN in May, Huol admitted that he could leave Tyneside again this season: “The most important thing for me is to be able to play [senior] football... it won't be that easy to jump from the Under-21s at Newcastle to a first-team squad which could be in the Champions League,” Kuol said.
“For the summer, I'm not really sure what's going to happen in terms of my next move. But I'd say [senior] football is the ultimate goal.”
Newcastle United U21 v Gateshead team news: Adam Harrison, Leo Shahar, Charlie McArthur, Cathal Heffernan, Ciaran Thompson, Scott Bailey, Trevan Sanusi, Anthony Munda, Sean Neave, Garang Kuol, Dylan Charlton
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