Newcastle committed to an eventual spend of £150million this summer strengthening their squad, if not their best XI.
With injuries, suspensions and fixtures mounting, the depth they sought to create is about to be tested.
While other players they tracked have made an immediate impact at Premier League rivals — James Maddison at Tottenham, Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai and Moussa Diaby of Aston Villa — Eddie Howe’s four signings are either injured, struggling to adapt or being kept largely in reserve.
They have made six league starts between them and, during Saturday’s 2-0 win over Burnley, it was the stars of last season who made an impact from the off, Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak the scorers and Bruno Guimaraes the star man.