11 Newcastle United players that must impress Eddie Howe in Austria - and six that don’t
A number of Newcastle United players will be hoping to impress head coach Eddie Howe whilst in Austria.
Newcastle United are currently in Austria as part of their preparations for the new Premier League season.
Eddie Howe’s 29-man strong squad landed in Austria on Sunday ahead of an eight-day training camp, where they will also face German side 1860 Munich and Mainz 05.
Several players will be keen to impress the Magpies head coach, whether that be to save their career on Tyneside or make the starting XI for the league opener with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, August 6.
Austria is the first opportunity for players to stake their claim before ending pre-season with further friendlies against Benfica in Portugal and Athletic Bilbao and Atalanta at St James’ Park.
NewcastleWorld takes a look at 11 players needing to impress Howe - and six that don’t:
1. Martin Dubravka - must impress
The Slovakian is in a battle to retain the No.1 spot following Nick Pope’s £12million arrival from Burnley. A strong pre-season, and Howe may feel he has no choice to stick with Dubravka. The same, however, can be said for Pope.
2. Jamal Lewis - must impress
Out of the players left out of the 25-man squad for the second half of last season, Lewis is the only one included in the trip to Austria. That, in itself, counts for something, as he looks to save his Newcastle career and provide solid competition for Matt Targett at left-back. Photo: Stu Forster
3. Elliot Anderson - must impress
Anderson believes pre-season is a “free hit” for him, and he’s probably right. Perform well and he goes up higher in Howe’s estimation. Whether that means staying on Tyneside or going out on loan again remains to be seen. Either way, both options are good for the teenager’s development. Photo: Harry Trump
4. Sean Longstaff - must impress
Longstaff, although played the least amount of minutes out of United’s midfielders last season under Howe, was rewarded with a new three-year contract. The challenge now for the 24-year-old is to win a place in the starting XI. Photo: Ian MacNicol