Newcastle United defender set for exit and will train with new club this week

Hartlepool United are hoping to secure a loan move for Newcastle United defender Lewis Cass this week.
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Dave Challinor had been hoping to secure the 20-year-old on a temporary deal last week but coronavirus outbreaks and uncertainty over the start of the National League season led to a delay.

With just four defenders currently signed up, Pools are hoping to bring in some reinforcements ahead of the season opener against Aldershot Town on October 3.

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Lewis Cass in FA Youth Cup action for Newcastle United (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)Lewis Cass in FA Youth Cup action for Newcastle United (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
Lewis Cass in FA Youth Cup action for Newcastle United (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
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"Hopefully we’ll have at least one defender in this week,” Challinor told The Mail.

"Lewis is one we were hoping to get in last week but Newcastle had a bit of an issue with a coronavirus case and then all of a sudden we had one and we were unsure whether our season would start.

"We’ve had conversations on that and hopefully he’s one we can get in. I envisage he’ll come in and hopefully he’ll train with us on Monday.

"When you’ve got all the uncertainty whether our season is going to start or not, you’re thinking, yes we’re going to be bringing loans in and then we were told that we definitely wouldn’t start behind closed doors then the day after then you’re hearing fans might not be allowed in for six months so that plan has changed.

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"We have to prepare as though the season is going to start on October 3 and hopefully that is the case. It’s tight enough as it is at the minute with budgets so the last thing you want to do is taking players from clubs, them not benefitting because we’re not playing games and then ultimately us having to pay money.

"It’s not great but we’ve got to prepare for Saturday now and hopefully get some bodies in, especially defensively because everyone knows that is an area that we need to improve.

“You look at October with eight games for us which will be a big ask especially when we’re missing Parky [David Parkhouse] for three games on international duty with Ireland’s 21s.

"The squad is tight anyway but if you take a couple of players out it gets a lot tighter so we’ve got to make sure we’ve got to get bodies in to get us through October.”