“Eddie Howe’s SHOCKING Summer Shake-Up: Newcastle United Stars’ Futures HANG IN THE BALANCE!”
This Weekend’s Celtic Clash Offers First Insight into Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United Plans
Newcastle United will kick off their 2025/26 pre-season campaign this weekend, with Eddie Howe set to unveil his new-look squad in a friendly clash against Celtic in front of a large crowd.
The Scottish champions offer a fitting test as Howe looks to give valuable minutes to his returning first-team stars, while also assessing who among the wider squad might push for a bigger role in the upcoming season.
The manager is expected to rotate heavily, fielding two different line-ups across both halves — a tactic used last week in a behind-closed-doors match against Carlisle United.
First half XI: Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier, Jamaal Lascelles, William Osula, Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff, Alex Murphy, Lewis Miley, Trevan Sanusi, Leo Shahar, Sean Neave
Second half XI: John Ruddy, Sven Botman, Fabian Schär, Joelinton, Harvey Barnes, Matt Targett, Jacob Murphy, Joe White, Harrison Ashby, Ben Parkinson, Travis Hernes
Since that game, key internationals including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, and Dan Burn have returned to club duties.
Their involvement will likely be managed carefully after their summer commitments.
Most of Howe’s squad have now undergone nearly two weeks of training, both in Newcastle and during a camp in Austria.
With pre-season ramping up, Howe must now decide who earns game time as he prepares for the campaign ahead.
Traditionally, Howe uses pre-season to evaluate fringe players — sometimes to give them a final chance to impress or to showcase them for potential transfers.
Jamal Lewis, who left the club this summer, was among those to benefit from such opportunities in previous years. Similarly, Harrison Ashby and Jamie Miley have featured prominently in past pre-seasons.
This summer, players like Ashby, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Targett, Lascelles, and Joe White will be eager to make their mark as they look to secure their place in Howe’s plans.
As usual, promising young talents — including Trevan Sanusi (18), Sean Neave (18), Max Thompson (20), Travis Hernes (19), and Leo Shahar (18) — are also expected to feature as part of the club’s long-term development strategy.
