It's likely to be cold when Newcastle travel to the Ukraine next week to face Metalist Kharkiv - but probably not much more so than it was on Tyneside on Wednesday morning as the players prepared for the home leg.

United play at St. James' Park on Thursday night (kick-off 8.05pm) before the return leg at the Metalist Stadium seven days later and the temperature was around the zero degrees mark as the team trained at their Benton base.

With some light snow and a definite chill in the air, there were snoods, gloves, hats and fleeces for all. And when long-serving Club Photographer Ian Horrocks proclaims it as one of the coldest training sessions he has covered in almost 20 years, you understand just how chilly it was.

That didn't stop our intrepid snapper, though, who wrapped up to bring nufc.co.uk this gallery.

Tickets are still available for Thursday's game, and can be purchased by clicking here