Matthias Jaissle has been speaking to the media at St James' Park in the last few moments, holding a press conference ahead of Sunday's Premier League opener against Liverpool.
The Reds also have a new man in the dugout, with Andoni Iraola leaving Bournemouth to take over at Anfield following Arne Slot's departure.
A tough test awaits for Jaissle, who kicked off his 4.30pm presser by offering an update on availability ahead of this weekend's game.
Dedic boost, two ruled out
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Jaissle has confirmed that [new signing Amar Dedic](https://nufcblog.co.uk/dedic-signs-official-announcement-video-full-details-and-first-words-39174) is "ready" to play against Liverpool this weekend, just days after his £29.5m switch from Benfica.
Discussing the 24-year-old, who has been praised for his versatility, the German boss said:
> _“Amar is a perfect fit and addition to the squad. He can play both full-back positions._
>
> _"He knows our playing style due to our time in Salzburg. That is always beneficial. I am confident he is ready.”_
Dedic's arrival is even more timely considering Tino Livramento's injury-hit pre-season, with Jaissle revealing that it's "too early" for the England international, who [only just returned to first-team training](https://nufcblog.co.uk/tino-livramento-injury-update-good-news-for-jaissle-ahead-of-liverpool-clash-39301) this week.
Joelinton is still a "couple of weeks" away, although Jaissle is confident the Brazilian won't be out for too long.
> _"It is too early to say on Tino, he was partially involved, but we need to be smart with his progress now. We need to wait until he is 100% fit._
>
> _"Joelinton is out for a couple of weeks. I am really confident that he will be back as soon as possible."_
Jaissle to check on Burn and Miley
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Dan Burn returned late after an extended post-World Cup break, while Lewis Miley has been managing his comeback from a leg fracture in May.
As a result, the pair have only played 45 minutes each in pre-season, coming in last weekend's double header at St James' Park, and Jaissle insists we must be "smart" with their load managemnt.
> _"We need to see how Dan Burn and Lewis Miley are._
>
> _"We need to be smart with the load management."_
While this is no clear giveaway, it would be no surprise if both started Sunday's game on the bench, despite Burn becoming the club captain.