Newcastle United have headed to Saudi Arabia for a warm-weather training camp during the international break. The club shared updates on social media, featuring players boarding a Saudia flight to Riyadh. The traveling group includes all fit first-team players not on international duty, with the squad bolstered by several Under-21 players.
Harvey Barnes and Will Osula were seen among the group, alongside academy talents Jay Turner-Cooke, Ben Parkinson, and Ellis Stanton. Training will take place at Al Awwal Park, home to Al Nassr, a Saudi Pro League team also majority-owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). Al Nassr’s star-studded squad includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozović, and Aymeric Laporte, and they finished second in the league last season behind Al Hilal, another PIF-backed club.
Peter Silverstone, Newcastle’s chief commercial officer, and sporting director Paul Mitchell are also accompanying the team. However, Newcastle are missing 12 players, including Bruno Guimarães, Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Lewis Hall, and Miguel Almirón, who are on international duty. Emil Krafth is absent after breaking his collarbone in Sweden training.
Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s head coach, outlined the purpose of the trip, saying: “This break gives us a chance to regroup and maintain our current momentum. We’re building a strong season and have important matches ahead.”
Unlike previous trips, Newcastle won’t play any friendlies in Saudi Arabia this time. Instead, they’ll host a special open training session at Al Awwal Park on Saturday morning for fans who pre-registered for free tickets. Additionally, a members-only digital Q&A featuring Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, and Will Osula is scheduled for Saturday from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m. (GMT).
After the international break, Newcastle resumes Premier League action against West Ham United at St. James’ Park on November 25, with an 8 p.m. kickoff.