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Five could make debuts in Saturday's Spurs clash
Rafa Benítez could hand debuts to five new signings when Newcastle United host Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off).
The Magpies begin the 2018/19 Premier League season at St. James’ Park, with Spurs the visitors for the second successive opening day.
The signing of defender Federico Fernández on transfer deadline day was United’s seventh addition ahead of the start of the campaign.
And manager Benítez could opt to hand bows to five of his seven summer acquisitions this weekend, with Ki Sung-yueng, Fabian Schär, Yoshinori Mutō and Salomón Rondón the other players who could pull on the black and white stripes for the first time in a competitive fixture.
Fellow signings Martin Dúbravka, who penned a permanent deal in June, and Chelsea loanee Kenedy may also feature, having made their debuts during their loan spells with United last term.
If Benítez does field those five new boys, it would be the most Magpies debuts made on the opening day of a Premier League season since the 2014/15 campaign, when Daryl Janmaat, Jack Colback, Remy Cabella, Rolando Aarons, Emmanuel Rivière and Ayoze Pérez made their first Magpies appearances in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.
This time last year, three United players made their bows in the 2-0 opening day loss to Spurs – Florian Lejeune, Javier Manquillo and Mikel Merino.
The only time the Magpies have lined up for the first game of a Premier League season without a new face in their starting 11 was the 2013/14 season, when Newcastle were beaten 4-0 at Manchester City.
Newcastle United Premier League opening-day debutants
1993/94 – Pavel Srníček, Barry Venison, John Beresford, Steve Howey, Kevin Scott, Paul Bracewell, Rob Lee, Lee Clark, Andy Cole, Malcolm Allen, Steve Watson, Niki Papavasiliou, Liam O’Brien
1994/95 – Marc Hottiger, Phillipe Albert
1995/96 – Shaka Hislop, David Ginola, Warren Barton, Les Ferdinand
1996/97 – Alan Shearer
1997/98 – Shay Given, Alessandro Pistone, Stuart Pearce, Temuri Ketsbaia, Jon-Dahl Tomasson
1998/99 – Laurent Charvet, Didi Hamann
1999/00 – Marcelino, Kieron Dyer, Alain Goma, Paul Robinson, Franck Dumas
2000/01 – Daniel Cordone, Carl Cort
2001/02 – Craig Bellamy, Laurent Robert
2002/03 – Titus Bramble, Hugo Viana
2003/04 – Lee Bowyer
2004/05 – Stephen Carr, Nicky Butt, Patrick Kluivert, James Milner
2005/06 – Scott Parker, Emre
2006/07 – Damien Duff
2007/08 – Geremi, David Rozehnal, Alan Smith, Mark Viduka
2008/09 – Fabricio Coloccini, Jonas Gutierrez, Danny Guthrie
2010/11 – James Perch
2011/12 – Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Gabriel Obertan
2012/13 – Vurnon Anita
2013/14 – N/A
2014/15 – Daryl Janmaat, Jack Colback, Remy Cabella, Rolando Aarons, Emmanuel Rivière, Ayoze Perez
2015/16 – Chancel Mbemba, Georginio Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrović
2017/18 – Javier Manquillo, Florian Lejeune, Mikel Merino