Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United players are going down under very soon.

While there are only three Premier League games left to play, that will not be the end of Newcastle United‘s season.

After their final game away to Brentford on May 19th, the Toon first-team will be heading to the airport as they travel to Australia for a couple of post-season friendlies.

Newcastle United are preparing to head to Melbourne, where they will face Tottenham Hotspur and the A-League All Stars. It is a trip that has proved to be quite the talking point, and there have even been suggestions that some players are not happy about their upcoming commitments.

That is understandable, given the gruelling season that Newcastle have endured, combined with the fact that some of Eddie Howe‘s players will be competing in major international tournaments this summer.

Australia trip could hand Newcastle United youngster a chance

But while the trip to Australia does not appear to be massively appealing, it is going to give one Newcastle United youngster a major opportunity.

Shortly after the friendlies were announced, we suggested that they were the perfect opportunity to give Garang Kuol his first minutes in a Newcastle United shirt. The 19-year-old attacker is an Australia international after all, and joined the Magpies from A-League side Central Coast Mariners.

It was stated earlier this week that Garang Kuol would be involved in the Newcastle United squad in Melbourne, with the teenager used in promotional images in an attempt to shift some tickets.

Eddie Howe answers Garang Kuol question

It was an interesting revelation, and now Eddie Howe has confirmed that Kuol will be part of the Newcastle United team that is going to play two friendlies in Australia.

During his pre-match press conference, Howe was asked to confirm whether or not Kuol would be involved, and gave a clear answer after seeking assurances from the club’s press officer.

“Yeah, he will be,” Howe said.

It will be great to see Kuol finally play for Newcastle

Howe did not seem 100% sure whether or not Kuol will be involved to begin with, before giving a definitive answer that the youngster will be with the group.

Hopefully his involvement is not just for commercial purposes, as there is so much intrigue surrounding the Newcastle United youngster.

There was so much buzz when Newcastle signed him in January 2023, but the hype has died down after two disastrous loan spells away from St James’ Park.

But there is still belief that he can develop into a future first-team player on Tyneside, and these upcoming friendlies could present Kuol with a real opportunity.

It seems like a fairly pointless trip – other than for financial reasons – but it is going to be great to see Kuol involved. Hopefully he can have an impact, and remind Toon fans why there was so much excitement when he joined the club over 12 months ago.

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