Newcastle United's first team players returned to the KNOX training centre on Tuesday for the first on-pitch session of pre-season, with Eddie Howe putting the squad through their paces ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. The session saw several young talents given an opportunity to impress, including forgotten winger Trevan Sanusi and four other exciting prospects.
Pre-season schedule and squad updates
The Magpies began pre-season with individual testing on Monday before Tuesday's full training session. The schedule includes a behind-closed-doors friendly against Darlington this weekend, followed by trips to Gateshead and Bristol City. A warm-weather training camp in La Manga will culminate in a friendly against Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium. Upon return to the UK, Newcastle face Everton at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, then host Bayer Leverkusen and Strasbourg at St James' Park for the VisitMalta Weekender.
Several first-team regulars were absent due to injury or extended breaks. Lewis Miley and Tino Livramento are recovering from injury, while Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes, Bazoumana Toure, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw were given extra time off following World Cup involvement. This opened the door for young players to train with the first team.
Youngsters in first-team training
Sean Neave, Alex Murphy and Leo Shahar are now considered first-team players, while summer signings Ewen Jaouen and Sean Steur have joined with the intention of going straight into the senior squad. Five other youngsters were spotted in Tuesday's session and could feature in pre-season friendlies.
Trevan Sanusi
Sanusi, 19, made his first-team debut under Howe in January 2025 during an FA Cup win over Bromley. He subsequently joined Lorient on a season-long loan but failed to make a league appearance, featuring only twice in the Coupe de France. Lorient boss Olivier Pantaloni said in May that Sanusi was not ready for Ligue 1 and may have 'suffered' during his time in France. His inclusion in first-team training is a major boost as he looks to prove himself on Tyneside.
Seung-soo Park
Park enjoyed a strong pre-season last year after joining from Suwon Bluewings, earning a place on the bench for the opening Premier League game against Aston Villa. He also made the bench for the FA Cup win over Villa in February and impressed at under-21 level. The young winger is highly rated and will join South Korea's under-23 squad for the Asian Games in September.
Matheos Ferreira
Ferreira, 17, made headlines in December with a hat-trick for the under-18s in an FA Youth Cup win over Portsmouth. He has since stepped up to under-21 level and now has a chance to impress Howe. Born in Ashington and raised in Berwick, Ferreira has Brazilian parents and Italian heritage through his mother, making him eligible for Brazil, Italy and England.
Anthony Munda
Munda, 19, is a midfielder who has been regularly scouted by Football League clubs over the past season and is considered ready for a loan move. A consistent performer for the under-21s, he has trained with the first team before and will hope to shine in pre-season.
Dylan Charlton
Charlton, 20, is a left-back who has been a consistent presence at under-21 level. With Livramento injured and limited cover for Lewis Hall, he could see opportunities in early pre-season friendlies.
