Newcastle United will be desperate to secure a European place in the next campaign having drafted in a few players this summer. Although, this will all depend on how they perform in the remaining pre-season games that the club have scheduled.
The Magpies managed to snatch a late draw against Hull City recently, but Rafa Benitez will be expecting much more from his players in matches to come. Indeed, a number of the club’s youngsters are yet to really make a name for themselves during pre-season, so the next couple of games will be vital.
Next up for Newcastle United is a trip to Portugal to face FC Porto. Supporters would love nothing more than to see their side secure a victory against a tough Porto side, as this would put them in a great position as they head into the new campaign.
When taking Rafa Benitez’s previous selections into consideration, we’ve come up with a team that we think the Spaniard could line up with against FC Porto.
Click through to the next page to see the entire potential team in FULL…
NEWCASTLE’S POTENTIAL TEAM VS PORTO
We’ve gone with a 4-2-3-1 formation, as that is the formation that Rafa Benitez made use of in the last campaign and in pre-season thus far. This allows the Magpies’ dangerous wide men to get into promising positions to deliver a ball into the box, while the two central defensive midfielders will try to protect what has been a shaky Newcastle defence.
Martin Dubravka will be gifted a starting place in the side after spending the last match on the substitutes’ bench, as he’ll head into the new campaign with his eyes set firmly on securing the No 1 jersey.
In defence, the Magpies will choose experience in the form of Ciaran Clark, who has a point to prove after stagnating behind the scenes last season. England’s very own Jamaal Lascelles will take up his usual position at the heart of the defence, as he’ll be looking to get even more minutes under his belt in preparation for the new campaign.
Javier Manquillo will arguably be playing for his Newcastle United future in their next outing after becoming one the Magpies’ worst signings in recent years, so Benitez will be keen to see how he fares against Porto. Meanwhile, Deandre Yedlin will slot in at right-back looking to deliver another impressive performance.
Jonjo Shelvey and Ki Sung-yeung will sit in front of the defence to provide protection, and will be the main source of distribution from deep.
Rolando Aarons will have a point to prove after enjoying a loan spell over in Italy last season, while Victor Fernandez will be desperate to live up to expectations as he hasn’t quite made the cut since joining last January.
Both Ayoze Perez and Joselu will be looking to find the back of the net once again after making it onto the scoresheet against Hull City. However, they’ll need to be at their best against a stern Porto defence.
Newcastle United fans – Thoughts?
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