Newcastle United's upcoming game against Rayo Vallecano may just be a mid-season friendly on paper - but try telling that to Florian Lejeune. This promises to be an emotional occasion for Lejeune as the Frenchman returns to St James' Park for the first time since leaving the club once and for all last year.
Lejeune may be taking a different walk on Saturday when he makes his way to the away dressing room instead of the home changing room across the tunnel, but the 31-year-old has already exchanged messages with a number of his former team-mates. These include Miguel Almiron, who Lejeune speaks to nearly every day, and Javier Manquillo, who the Rayo Vallecano defender hosted at his home in Madrid last month.
Club physio Daniel Marti has also been in touch and, with just a couple of days to go until his side's trip to Tyneside, Lejeune admitted he was 'thrilled' to come back to a 'wonderful ground with magnificent fans'.
