The Newcastle United first team squad signed off on Saturday.
An excellent win at St James’ Park over Chelsea, the perfect way to conclude what has been an astonishing run of form and results.
Since the September 2022 international break, the Newcastle United first team squad have played nine matches, winning eight and drawing one, scoring twenty one goals and conceding only four.
In the process, picking up 22 points from a possible 24 and progressing through to the fourth round of the League Cup.
Now we of course have the Qatar World Cup splitting up the season.
Kieran Trippier, Bruno G, Fabian Schar, Nick Pope and Callum Wilson at the tournament, whilst the rest of the Newcastle United first team squad following a bit of different route…overview and key dates below.
Newcastle United first team squad these next two weeks…
Reported by The Athletic: ‘Newcastle’s non-internationals will be given a fortnight away from formal training. During the first week, they will be granted holiday, then during the second they will be given personally tailored training programmes to undertake in their own time but they will not be required to do those at Benton. For the remainder of the World Cup break, however, Eddie Howe will oversee what he describes as a “mini pre-season” schedule to ensure his players remain at peak fitness.’
Sunday 4 December 2022
NUFC first team squad fly to Saudi Arabia for warm weather break.
Tuesday 6 December 2022
Scheduled date for release of Premier League TV selections, although we are still awaiting the TV selections for most of January, which were scheduled to have been made public weeks ago.
Thursday 8 December 2022 (Friendly)
Al-Hilal v Newcastle Time and venue TBC
Saturday 10 December 2022
NUFC first team squad return from Saudi Arabia warm weather break.
Saturday 17 December 2022 (Friendly)
Newcastle v Rayo Vallecano 12.30
(Week commencing) Monday 19 December (League Cup fourth round)
Newcastle v Bournemouth – TBC
Monday 26 December 2022 (Premier League)
Leicester v Newcastle (Amazon Prime) 3pm
Saturday 31 December 2022 (Premier League)
Newcastle v Leeds 3pm
Tuesday 3 January 2023 (Premier League)
Arsenal v Newcastle (Sky Sports) 8pm
(Weekend of) Saturday 7 January 2023 (FA Cup third round)
Newcastle United to play their FA Cup third round match
These initial few weeks of holiday and then warm weather training camp, will help allow major work to get done at the current training ground.
A totally new state of the art training ground at another location is at the planning stage and will take a few years to completion, so in the meantime, at the moment we are in the middle of a process whereby the current facilities are being brought up to an acceptable level. Due to almost a decade and a half of Mike Ashley neglect which had rendered the facilities not fir for purpose in terms of for a Premier League club.
So, a lot of work has already been done to update the current training ground, but these weeks without the Newcastle United first team squad, will allow that work to be significantly accelerated.
The Athletic report that there is also a third friendly planned during this World Cup break but opponents and date / time / venue are yet to be made public.
