Newcastle Confidential: Plans change over training ground revamp, Jacob Murphy fitness update, the Belgian left back on club's radar, central defender blow and a boost for Anthony Elanga

Newcastle United ’s training-ground expansion plans have taken a significant U-turn, Confidential can reveal.

Work has been ongoing at their Benton base since last year and the original plan was for new buildings, built on a former car park, to be used primarily as office space for staff.

However, we understand there has been a big shift in focus and the development will now be centred around the players, with new work commissioned on the current building. The gym is one area that will be expanded and improved and there is a want to provide the squad with better facilities to aid recovery and conditioning. Sporting director Ross Wilson and performance director James Bunce have been central to the new plans, which have been met with great excitement internally.

Newcastle’s injury record this season is not as bad as data released by the BBC suggested this week. They claimed that no team in the Premier League has lost more days to injury. However, that made the assumption Jamaal Lascelles has been injured all season, which is not the case.

The reality is that Newcastle rank mid-table for days missed, slightly better than, but roughly on a par with, the other Champions League teams. Nonetheless, the hope is that the training-ground enhancements will bring that number down heading into next season.

As Daily Mail Sport revealed this month, owners PIF are set to announce a brand new £200million training-ground development in Woolsington, next door to Newcastle Airport. However, that state-of-the-art complex will take two years to complete, and the start date is yet to be confirmed. For now, the ownership and performance staff want to maximise the impact and potential of Benton, which still ranks some way behind the Premier League’s best training centres.

Statistics showing Newcastle's injury woes were wrong as they were based on the assumption Jamaal Lascelles has been injured all season, which is not the case

Hopes Bruno knock is not too bad

Newcastle are still sweating on the severity of the ankle injury suffered by Bruno Guimaraes during the 3-0 win over PSV on Wednesday.

Eddie Howe said afterwards that he was concerned given the Brazilian rarely comes off, and he confirmed there was swelling around the midfielder's ankle.

The word overnight was that Guimaraes’ problem did not look too bad, but that was met with caution on Thursday. Howe will hope to provide an update on the prognosis on Friday morning ahead of Sunday’s visit of Aston Villa.

On the fitness front, I understand Jacob Murphy is pushing for the Villa game but a more realistic target is the trip to Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday. The winger has been afforded a period of rest amid a lingering hamstring concern, but he is now nearing a return.

Newcastle are still sweating on the severity of the ankle injury suffered by Bruno Guimaraes during the 3-0 win over PSV on Wednesday

Burn like a new signing? Really, Eddie?!

There were some eyebrows raised among the press pack this week when Eddie Howe claimed Dan Burn would be ‘like a new signing’ following his return from a rib injury.

This is straying into Football Cliches territory, but a 33-year-old who has been at the club for four years and has missed only a month through injury probably does not meet the threshold for ‘like a new signing’!

That being the case, why did Howe agree with the suggestion? Well, in an update to what I’ve reported previously, it appears the likelihood of Newcastle signing a new centre-back this month is diminishing by the day.

A pot of around £20-25m would be available for the right player, but that budget is unlikely to get them the targets they want this month. PSR is being cited as the reason, as well as a want to leave themselves in a stronger position heading into the summer. My argument would be that, by strengthening today, you take care of tomorrow - and if an extra body can aid a top-five finish and Champions League football, the summer business is automatically made easier.

One player Newcastle are watching is Club Brugge left back Joaquin Seys. The 20-year-old got an assist as Brugge won 4-1 away at Kairat Almaty this week, giving the Belgian side hope of landing a Champions League play-off place. Seys already has more than 100 senior appearances and has been capped twice by Belgium.

Eddie Howe will be happy to have Dan Burn back from injury...but will he really be 'like a new signing'?

One player Newcastle are watching is Club Brugge left back Joaquin Seys (left)

Parisian prize would be £14m

One way to bolster the coffers is by beating Paris Saint-Germain next week and advancing straight to the Champions League last 16 - which we can reveal would be worth as much as £14m!

That figure emphasises the importance of the game in Paris, where a win would guarantee a top-eight finish. Participating in the last-16 knockout round earns a club at least £9.5m in prize money, and a win against PSG would also earn £1.8m plus the difference in prize money for the improved final league position.

The incentive to win is clear, and that is before you consider the removal of two extra games from the schedule.

It's just not fair as Burn beaten by Ballard!

Returning to the subject of Dan Burn, there was surprise in the press box when the Newcastle defender missed out on the North-East Football Writers’ Player of the Year this month.

Full disclosure, he got my vote. Dan Ballard of Sunderland was the winner, and what a brilliant 2025 he had. It is good that there is competition across the region for the prestigious prize.

But, for me, Burn scoring in the Carabao Cup final to end Newcastle’s 70-year wait for a domestic trophy, coupled with his brilliant form and England call-up, made him my runaway winner. And that is before we mention him rescuing broken-down cars on Moor Farm roundabout - never mind Footballer of the Year, he should be Man of the Year!

Dan Ballard of Sunderland (No5) was the winner of the North-East Football Writers’ Player of the Year award beating Dan Burn

Matt finished...good luck in the new role

Popular Newcastle supporter liaison officer Matt Willis is leaving the club for UEFA, Confidential can reveal.

The news will be met with disappointment by fans, who value the Geordie’s visibility and approachability on matchdays, especially away from home. You’d often see Willis around away-end entrances ensuring safe passage, and I’m yet to meet a supporter with a bad word to say about him. Newcastle’s loss is UEFA’s gain.

He will take up his new post at the end of the month and Newcastle are now looking for a replacement. The best thing you can say about Willis is that he felt like an extension of the fanbase and acted on their behalf, rather than looking at matters through the prism of the club first. Good luck in the new role!

Gerry and Sewell keep the money rolling in

Fictional Newcastle-supporting anti-heroes Gerry and Sewell have done their bit for the club’s PSR struggle.

I was at the West End premiere of the stage show last week and it was interesting to note Newcastle’s commercial staff hosting partners and potential clients, during the performance and at the after-party.

CEO David Hopkinson was also in attendance and the club’s efforts in increasing revenue streams continue at a pace. The Canadian knows that the best and quickest way to help Howe is by increasing the scope for transfer and wage expenditure, and commercial deals and partnerships are his primary area of focus.

As for Gerry and Sewell, it was a riotous two hours of humour and heartache, underpinned all the way by Geordie culture and the quest for St James’ Park season tickets. The show, which features a Wor Flags display, runs until this Saturday at the Aldwych Theatre in London before returning to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal this summer.

Dean Logan as Gerry and Jack Robertson as Sewell (both pictured with Katherine Dow Blyton) in the West End debut of Gerry & Sewell at the Aldwych Theatre

Nice touch for Elanga

Finally, a moment that meant a lot to Howe and his staff this week - the reception for Anthony Elanga when he came on during the second half of PSV.

After no goal in 27 appearances since his £55million arrival from Nottingham Forest, there has been a lot of focus on the winger of late, and Howe has fielded a lot of questions on his contribution. But after the Newcastle boss called for support for Elanga this week, it was heartening to hear the Strawberry Corner sing his name following his introduction. There was an immediate and noticeable lift in his game.

The hope for insiders now is that Elanga can take confidence from the love of the home crowd and finally start delivering on the numbers they believe he can.

It was heartening to hear the Strawberry Corner sing Anthony Elanga's name following his introduction against PSV. There was an immediate and noticeable lift in his game

It's Toon Teaser time

Last week, we asked you to name the seven players to have played for Newcastle and Wolves since 1992/93. The answers were; David Kelly, Temuri Ketsbaia, Darren Peacock, Mike Williamson, Carl Cort, Marlon Harewood and Sebastien Bassong.

This week, we want you to name the FIVE players who have scored for Newcastle and Aston Villa in the Premier League!