Matty Bondswell is giving Eddie Howe an unexpected selection dilemma after emerging as a surprise contender for the first-team squad this summer.
The 20-year-old put in an excellent display in the 3-2 defeat against Benfica after coming on as a replacement for Matt Targett at half-time. The Nottingham-born England youth international was initially picked for the Newcastle Under-21 squad for pre-season but has been promoted by Howe.
And he could well feature again this weekend against Serie A side Atalanta and Athletic Bilbao of La Liga. Bondswell joined the club in 2021 from Red Bull Leipzig and was handed his first-team debut by Steve Bruce.