Steve Bruce says he shares the concern of fans that Joe Willock's lack of pre-season needs to be managed carefully.
The £25million signing from Arsenal played just 48 minutes for the Gunners before making the permanent move to Newcastle United last week.
Willock was - in the eyes of some supporters - a surprise start in the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa and it remains to be seen whether he plays some part in tonight's League Cup clash against Burnley.
Bruce said: "It's fair to say that Joe didn't have a lot of minutes but he's young and he needs to get that match sharpness.
"So we'll get some minutes into Joe, that's for sure.
"And that goes for a lot of the squad too.
"That's why we carry a squad the way we do now, and you will see - up and down the country - changes, because it is an ideal opportunity to get some minutes into your squad and play competitive football, and also put a marker down to play on Saturday.
"So we will make changes but we'll be very strong."
Newcastle ended last season in good form and managed to clamber to 12th after being close to the relegation zone for the majority of the second half of the campaign.
After two defeats against Villa and West Ham, Bruce reflected: "We're frustrated - I think that's the right word.
"Big, key decisions have gone against us - there hasn't been much in any of the games, really.
"So it's an ideal opportunity to get up and running; can we get into the next round of the cup and can we get some points on the board at the weekend before we go into the international break?
"That's what we'll be looking for."
