Newcastle United take part in their first pre-season friendly of the summer on Saturday as they welcome neighbours Gateshead to Darsley Park for a behind-closed-doors friendly. Eddie Howe will finally get a proper glimpse of some of his new additions, plus some familiar faces who have returned from loan spells elsewhere.
For some, the friendly clash will be seen as nothing more than a glorified training session. But Howe will be demanding an impressive showing from his stars as they bid to impress before the trips to Austria and Portugal.
Speaking towards the end of last season, the Newcastle boss made it clear that under his leadership there were no free hits for Newcastle - and every game, even pre-season friendlies, were ones his side must aim to win.
