Newcastle United get back in action tomorrow, kicking off their preseason friendly slate.
Almost exactly one month ago, Newcastle United were closing out their 2019/20 Premier League season with a 3-1 loss to Liverpool. Tomorrow, they return to the pitch with a preseason friendly against Crewe Alexandra of League One. Friendlies against Barnsley and Middlesbrough will follow as Steve Bruce gets his first full preseason with the club.
With the Premier League season opener vs. West Ham coming up on 9/12, the Magpies will look to get their legs back under them and determine the pecking order to start the 2020/21 campaign. You will want to keep track of these players’ performances as the preseason rolls along.
Mark Gillespie/Karl Darlow/Daniel Langley
As we mentioned in a recent article, there is some uncertainty at goalkeeper behind Martin Dubravka entering this season. Who is the number two keeper? Is the club in a position to sell Karl Darlow?
While those questions won’t all be answered just by playing in friendlies, it will be interested to see how Steve Bruce divides the playing time. While Darlow is a known quantity, Mark Gillespie joined on a free transfer and Dan Langley saw his stock rise with the U-23s last season and will want to impress the first team staff over the next few weeks. An exceptional preseason or an especially poor one from any of these keepers could set up a lot for this season.