Steve Bruce admitted that Newcastle United's 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers was far from pretty.
However, he felt that the fact that a host of returning players has bolstered the squad's chances of success in the opening month of the campaign.
United are safely into the third round of the League Cup to face Morecambe next week and take on Brighton & Hove Albion on the back of a second successive clean sheet.
Bruce said: "We have another game on Sunday.
"We will have had six games in two and a half weeks.
"That game last night has made sure some of them have got football in their legs.
"We aren't going to say anything other than we were fortunate."
"I was wary people needed games, but thankfully we got away with it."
Bruce looked for the positives after the narrow win and said: "Ciaran Clark coming back was a big thing and it was a big night for Mark Gillespie, he was probably our best."
But on a night in which Joelinton was handed a chance to impress with new signing Callum Wilson through the door last week, the Newcastle boss admitted the number nine struggled.
Bruce confessed: "He has to dust himself down and get on with the challenge.
"He had a frustrating night, it is fair to say."
Meanwhile, United boss Bruce confirmed that Yoshinori Muto was in Spain to finalise a move to La Liga side Eibar.
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