Newcastle's coaching staff are concerned the club are missing the presence of midfielder Mohamed Diame, according to a local report.
The central midfielder's time with the Magpies came to an end because of the club's policy not to offer players over the age of 30 new long-term contracts.
It's alleged by ChronicleLive that some members of the coaching team are worried that Newcastle lack energy and power in midfield, attributes that Diame offered to the team despite not always being in favour with former manager Rafa Benitez.
Diame has subsequently signed for Qatari giants Al-Ahli, and the Magpies have experienced an inconsistent start to the 2019/20 campaign in his absence.