Newcastle United call-up 'fantastic' 18-year-old to first-team training ahead of Sunderland tie

Newcastle United are back in training preparing for Saturday's FA Cup third round tie away to Sunderland (kick-off 12:45pm).

It's the first Tyne-Wear derby for almost eight years as Newcastle look to beat Sunderland for the first time since 2011. The Black Cats are unbeaten in nine derbies but a lot has changed since the last meeting, not least both clubs' league status.

A division may separate the pair nowadays but as history has proven, form tends to go out of the window in these games. And that will perhaps be music to Newcastle's ears having lost eight of their previous nine fixtures in all competitions.

Nevertheless, Eddie Howe's side are hoping to put their recent struggles behind them and get their campaign back on track at the Stadium of Light.

Howe is set to have the same group of players available from the 4-2 defeat at Liverpool on New Year's Day. Kieran Trippier, however, remains a doubt after missing the trip to Anfield with a groin issue. In a training gallery released by Newcastle on Thursday, the England international wasn't spotted.

One player that was captured at Benton was summer signing Travis Hernes with the 18-year-old impressing for United's under-18s, under-19s and under-21s this season.

Newcastle signed the young midfielder from League One club Shrewsbury Town, where he made two senior appearances against Cheltenham Town and Leeds United at the start of the campaign.

After arriving on Tyneside in August, Shrewsbury director of football Micky Moore said: “Travis is a fantastic young man and everyone at Shrewsbury would like to wish him luck for his move to Newcastle. 

“When I joined the club in the summer, I said I was determined to create a pathway that will see more of our academy players progress into the first team. 

“Travis made his league debut against Cheltenham this season and also played in front of 35,000 fans when he started at Leeds. Both those games were a great learning experience for him. 

“There is a part of me that would have loved to see Travis stay so he could continue his development here and get more games in our first team. However, the deal we have agreed with Newcastle is right for us as a football club.  

“We also didn’t want to stand in Travis’s way as this move is a wonderful opportunity for him. Everyone at the football club wishes Travis the very best for the future and we will all be keeping a close eye on his career.”

Hernes is unlikely to be included in Newcastle's squad versus Sunderland but he does become the latest youngster to gain valuable first-team experience this term after the likes of Ben Parkinson, Michael Ndiweni, Alex Murphy, James Huntley and Adam Harrison.