The double dose of good news for Newcastle United after international break

Newcastle United hope to have a double fitness boost after the international break with the pause in Premier League action ideal for some of their senior stars.

Both Newcastle vice-skipper Kieran Trippier and number 9 Callum Wilson should be available for selection for the November 25 encounter with West Ham at St James' Park. The club's trip to Riyadh will see Newcastle granted exclusive access to PIF-owned side Al Nassr's Al-Awwal Park and that will see both Trippier and Wilson benefit from the medical facilities on offer, deemed good enough for Portugal legend Ronaldo of course!

Speaking about the trip to Riyadh, Howe said: "The plan is to get some warm weather training in. We will go to Saudi Arabia for some training for three to four days. Then we will come back."

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There will be no friendly for the Magpies this time in Riyadh but the club do plan some commercial activity in the Middle East. The shorter trip will be Newcastle's first trip to Saudi since December 2022 when they beat Al Hilal 5-0 in a festive friendly match.

With Adidas and Sela having a strong presence in Riyadh the players are likely to see their names up in lights again on Riyadh Boulevard. Howe is eager for Newcastle to sign off for the trip on a high by beating Forest first, he said: "They are having a great season; Nuno deserves credit for the job he has done.

"They have a way of playing that really works for them. Very tough to play against. They are going to pose a big test for us. They have a solid defensive base, really good pace in wide areas."