Newcastle United will continue their preparations for the 2020-21 season with a clash against Championship side Barnsley on Saturday afternoon.
The fixture will take place at the Premier League outfit's Benton training ground but will act as a valuable game for both sides as they build towards the start of competitive action.
Match preview
© Reuters
Newcastle got their pre-season campaign off to an impressive start on Tuesday as they recorded a three-goal victory over Crewe Alexandra, with Andy Carroll, Christian Atsu and Federico Fernandez on the scoresheet.
The win came at a cost, though, with Dwight Gayle picking up an ankle injury which is likely to rule him out for the next few months, leaving the Magpies short in the final third of the field.
There will also be no Martin Dubravka either this weekend or for the start of the new Premier League season as the goalkeeper picked up a heel injury during a training session last week.
Steve Bruce's side are due to face Middlesbrough in another friendly on September 1 before opening their 2020-21 season away to West Ham United on September 12.
The Magpies ultimately finished 13th in last season's Premier League table as they lost four of their last five matches of the campaign, claiming just one point during a poor finish.
© Reuters
Barnsley, meanwhile, dramatically escaped relegation from the Championship on the final day of last season, beating Brentford 2-1 to ultimately finish in 21st spot, one point clear of the bottom three.
The club are therefore preparing for another season in the second tier, but it is an incredibly quick turnaround, and they have also only played one friendly this summer, beating Crewe 2-0 last weekend.
Gerhard Struber's side are expected to have two new faces on display this weekend, with Dominik Frieser and Kilian Ludewig likely to be involved for the Championship side following their summer arrivals.
The Tykes are due to start their new Championship season at home to Luton Town on September 12 but will also take on Nottingham Forest in the first round of the EFL Cup on September 5.
Newcastle pre-season form: W
Barnsley pre-season form: W
Head To Head
Newcastle lead the overall head-to-head record 20 wins to Barnsley's 11, while there have also been 12 draws between these two sides in all competitions.
The Magpies have won seven of their last eight meetings, including a 3-0 victory when they last locked horns in the Championship at the end of the 2016-17 campaign.
Barnsley's last win over Newcastle was actually back in December 1992, while they have only avoided defeat in two of their last 12 clashes with the Premier League side.
We say: Newcastle 3-1 Barnsley
The result will not mean too much to either manager this weekend, but both sides will be keen to put on a positive performance. Newcastle should have too much for their Championship opponents, though, and we fancy Bruce's side to make it two wins from two pre-season matches.
Matt Law
