To be honest with you, I cannot remember a time when there has been so few Newcastle players (since the Kevin Keegan revolution of 1993) involved in either World Cup or European Championships.
But this MUST be a plus for Chris Hughton.
Although I'm sure Jose Enríque would rather be playing in the World Cup final with Spain on Sunday, he has made the most of the summer and is ready for action.
Jose Enríque: “I’ve had some time relaxing over the summer and the pre-season period is always really important for getting your fitness up for the rest of the season.
“ If that happens, the rest of the season is hard. It’s really important to have a good pre-season to set yourself up.
“Everyone is already feeling tired. It hasn’t been too intense, but I think that will change in Ireland.
"It will be very hard over there. It was an important time last year. It’s one week away and we do three training sessions every day. I think it is one of the most important weeks in the season because it is very hard work.”