View
comments
Eddie Howe has confirmed that Newcastle United will travel to Saudi Arabia for a training camp during the winter break, but was unable to say if the team will meet leader Mohammed bin Salman.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed last week that the squad would visit the Gulf state for the first time since being taken over by the country's Public Investment Fund, in a trip that is sure to attract criticism.
Amnesty International have already said they fear the stay will turn into 'another PR opportunity for the Saudi authorities who are trying to sportswash their appalling human rights record'.
Eddie Howe has confirmed that his Newcastle squad will travel to Saudi Arabia at the weekend
Newcastle will head to Saudi Arabia for the first time this month since their £305m takeover
Howe could not confirm if they will meet Saudi officials such as Bin Salman and PIF governor and Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
But the head coach said: 'The plan is to go away (after Leeds game on Saturday), I think it's vitally important. I'll talk about COVID, in respect that a lot of the protocols you have around the training ground are encouraging isolation, quite rightly to protect everybody.
'But it doesn't help you to foster a team spirit and the togetherness we're going to need in
