Newcastle United brought in five senior players during the summer transfer window, and four of them have already featured for manager Steve Bruce’s side so far this season.
While the Magpies did good business in the window, the likes of Jack Colback, Rolando Aarons, Achraf Lazaar, Henri Saivet and Jamie Sterry were dealt a huge blow as they were omitted from Newcastle’s 25-man final Premier League squad.
Aarons and Colback featured prominently during pre-season, with the 29-year-old particularly looking to play for the first-team again after Rafa Benitez banished him to the under-23’s following a training ground bust-up between them.
According to The Athletic, the Newcastle midfielder was shocked and dismayed to have missed out on the 25-man squad and was the most downcast about being cut from the squad.
Bruce was left with no choice, though, and he was forced to make the decision after Krafth, Saint-Maximin and Carroll arrived late in the window.
While he is gutted, Colback has continued to train with the first-team but could leave before the September 2 European transfer deadline as he is currently behind Isaac Hayden, Sean Longstaff, Ki Sung-yueng, Jonjo Shelvey and even versatile duo Fabian Schar and Jetro Willems in the pecking order.
A switch to a League One or League Two side is ruled out given his £40,000-a-week wages, but a move to the Scottish Premiership is on the cards, and it will be interesting to see what his final decision is.
Colback spent last season on loan in the Championship with Nottingham Forest, but the club opted against making the move a permanent one at the end of the season.