Five players back at training
Newcastle United have welcomed back five players from World Cup duty to pre-season training on Monday morning. The returning players are Nick Woltemade, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga, Bazoumana Toure, and Yoane Wissa. They were absent from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Gateshead, which also saw 13 first-team players unavailable.
Injury concerns remain
Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley, Joelinton, Will Osula, and Sven Botman missed the Gateshead friendly due to injuries. New signing Aladji Bamba also did not feature as the game came too soon for him. Seven players were missing due to World Cup commitments, with five now back in training at the KNOX centre.
Bruno Guimaraes is due to return on Friday after Brazil's exit from the World Cup, while Dan Burn is expected to be away for a couple more weeks following England's bronze medal match.
World Cup performances
Wissa scored three goals in four matches for DR Congo during the World Cup. Elanga scored twice for Sweden. Toure, who previously played for Hammarby and Hoffenheim, will look to make an instant impact. Thiaw and Woltemade aim to put their World Cup disappointment behind them with a positive pre-season campaign.
