Newcastle United are wary of the impact Jesse Lingard could have for Nottingham Forest in next weekend’s season opener.
The summer signing caught the eye on his first run-out for the Reds in their final friendly, playing almost 80 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Valencia. Although not quite at full match sharpness, Lingard showed glimpses of what he has to offer Steve Cooper’s side.
It’s likely he will make his competitive debut in less than a week’s time, when Forest make their Premier League return at St James’ Park. The Magpies were interested in Lingard earlier in the summer, and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes says they must keep tabs on the former Manchester United man when he lines up against them.
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"Yes, he is a good player, a famous player. We need to take care with him because he is a big player,” he told ChronicleLive.
Asked if he would like to have played alongside Lingard, he added: "It's difficult to say this. He's another player (for another team), and we have good players here. I have a lot of confidence in the boys here, I believe in the team and I believe in myself.
"Nottingham Forest will be a difficult game. We know the first game is always difficult to play. We are not fully up to speed yet (in terms of Premier League action) but we have one week to be ready. And the good thing is the Forest game is at home, when you play at home you need to win.
"And we will work to get the three points. The Premier League doesn't have any easy games. All the games are difficult and we know the intensity. We need to get it right and be right for this game."
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