Interestingly, Sylvain Marveaux - thought to be ruled out for the rest of the season and remainder of his contract under the previous regime - was back on the field at the club’s Benton base.
Newcastle’s previous backroom team had written off the French winger, but new boss Rafa Benitez will start with a clean slate.
Also back in contention is former Manchester United winger Gabriel Obertan, while previously unavailable players like Cheick Tiote and Andros Townsend were involved too.
Benitez gathered his players around for a talk before and after his first session, then told NUFC TV he’d relayed the following message: They have to give everything and think in a positive way. It’s not easy but you have to concentrate on your job.
“Don’t think too much about the past. Don’t waste too much time thinking about what can happen.
“The next game is Leicester so concentrate on this game.
“Try to give your best in every training session and every game.
“We will analyse things and fix things and hopefully with the quality that they have. It is there so hopefully we can do well.”