Newcastle's first team squad returned for the first day of pre-season testing on Monday
Sean Steur poses for photographs at the Knox training centre
Sean Steur poses for photographs at the Knox training centre
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Newcastle United's first team began their pre-season preparations on Monday as they gear up for the 2026/27 season.
The club's media team have released pictures and video footage from the first day of pre-season testing, with a number of the club's star players returning to Benton ahead of the new campaign.
Eddie Howe's side will take on Darlington in a behind closed doors friendly on Saturday before taking in trips to Gateshead, Bristol City and then Valencia at the end of a training camp in La Manga.
They will also travel to Edinburgh next month to take on Everton at Murrayfield before closing their pre-season schedule with a double header of home games against Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg.
That schedule is all geared towards their opening Premier League game of the season against Liverpool at St James' Park and Chronicle Live has rounded up five things we have learned from Newcastle's first training session of the summer.
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Livramento and Miley step up recovery
The first big boost from the images is that both Tino Livramento and Lewis Miley were in the building, not only doing their testing but stepping up their recovery from their respective injuries.
Livramento was forced to pull out of England's World Cup squad with a calf injury and he underwent a minor surgical procedure to repair it. The hope was the injury wouldn't cut too much into pre-season so images of the 23-year-old on an exercise bike were much welcomed.
Similarly, Miley suffered a broken leg back in May but it was hoped his injury wouldn't eat too much into pre-season either. He was pictured doing some testing on his leg strength and it hopefully won't be too long until he is back on the grass off the back of signing a new six-year deal at the club.
Why some players are missing
The absences from the first round of images immediately jumped out from the page amid talk of a few players leaving the club.
Among the players pictured on Monday morning, Livramento and Miley were joined in the building by Sven Botman, Fabian Schar, Lewis Hall, Alex Murphy, Jacob Ramsey, Joe Willock, Joelinton and new signing Sean Steur.
Given we know the club's World Cup contingent of Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Malick Thiaw, Nick Woltemade, Anthony Elanga, Yoane Wissa and Bazoumana Toure will be given extra time off to recover, that still left a few players absent from the pictures.
Nick Pope has been linked with an exit this summer, while Jacob Murphy was linked with a move to Everton over the weekend. Both players weren't pictured but neither were Will Osula, Harvey Barnes, Mark Gillespie and new signing Ewen Jaouen.
But rather than being for any reason relating to possible departures, Chronicle Live understands their absence is simply put down to the fact the first day of individual testing is split into two groups and those players absent this morning are at the training centre this afternoon for their first day of testing.
KNOX here, there and everywhere
After striking a deal for KNOX Hydrate to sponsor the club's training centre, it was the first time we saw their logo plastered all over the training ground.
KNOX was also clearly visible on the players' training gear and given they will also sponsor the club's kits this season, their presence at the club will begin to be more and more keenly felt.
Sean Steur's first day
Steur was the only one of the club's three new signings to be pictured doing his individual testing with Jaouen set to be among the group this afternoon and Toure set to join up with his new team-mates later in the summer.
The 18-year-old looked in good shape and is ready to hit the ground running having already done two-and-a-half weeks of pre-season training with Ajax before his move to Tyneside.
Sean Steur (R) looks around the Knox Training ground with Andy Howe
Sean Steur (R) looks around the Knox Training ground with Andy Howe
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Hall and Willock here to stay?
Two players who have been linked with a departure this summer are Hall and Willock but both were pictured at Benton earlier this morning.
Hall has been linked with a move to Manchester United but Newcastle consider the England international left-back as not for sale. Willock, however, could be moved on.
The 26-year-old is now in the last year of his contract at St James' Park and is attracting interest from elsewhere in the Premier League. A deal for Johan Manzambi felt like preparing for Willock's departure and given United continue to seek alternatives for the Swiss international after he opted to join Aston Villa suggests that remains the direction of travel.
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