Steve Bruce has named his first Newcastle United squad, sorting the wheat from the chaff ahead of their Premier League opener against Arsenal at St James' Park on Sunday.
Five unlucky players have missed out on the final 25, while squad numbers have also been handed to a couple of surprise additions who were either expected to move on over the summer or have done enough to impress Bruce that they deserve a chance at the club this coming season.
Winners and losers
Those to miss out on gaining a place in the squad this season are Rolando Aarons, Jack Colback, Henri Saivet, Achraf Lazaar and Jamie Sterry.
Dwight Gayle will stay at the club to add to their striking options, while Jacob Murphy and Freddie Woodman have departed on loan.
Aarons and Lazaar, who were both managed by Bruce during their loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday last season, will be disappointed the Head Coach did not see enough in them to be given a chance this season.
Aarons especially, given the fact he featured on the left-hand-side in a number of their pre-season fixtures in the absence of the injured Matt Ritchie. Instead, the duo will again look abroad for a loan or permanent transfer options to secure regular football.
Jack Colback will also feel hard done by, having worked with Bruce at Sunderland AFC and being a boyhood Newcastle supporter, but the pre-season form of Matty Longstaff and the emergence of his brother Sean Longstaff last year have moved him down the pecking order in midfield.
Added to that, Colback has not played Premier League football for over two years so is now unlikely to find himself playing in the top flight again at the age of 29.
Saivet will likely find himself a move abroad with relative ease, having added an African Cup of Nations final to his CV this summer, representing Senegal.
Jamie Sterry, on the other hand, may find himself turning out for Newcastle's U23 side for much of the season, until he can secure a domestic transfer in January.
The arrival of Sweden international Emil Krafth yesterday has pushed him out of the side, and at 23, he is unlikely to find himself playing in the Premier League in future.
Bruce, talking to the club's website, had this to say about the squad: "All of the players have worked extremely hard since I arrived at the club and they deserve enormous credit for that.
"Unfortunately, the rules dictate that I've got to let five of them down, who can't get a squad number. It's one of the hard parts of the job but it's a decision I have to make.
"The season starts for us in just a couple of days and we'll be doing everything we can to ensure the squad is prepared and ready to go."
New boys receive their squad numbers
The most surprising arrival of the window was the return of striker Andy Carroll, who receives the number seven shirt after record-signing Joelinton was given the number nine.
Allan Saint-Maximin is the club's new number 10, while returning striker Gayle will hope to take his chance in the Premier League once more wearing number 12.
New defenders Emil Krafth and Jetro Willems receive the numbers 17 and 15 respectively, replacing the departed Ayoze Pérez and Mohamed Diamé.
Goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka deservedly receives the number one jersey, while Matty Longstaff is rewarded for his pre-season performances by being handed the number 43, with his brother Sean remaining 36.
Newcastle's squad numbers in full:
1 Martin Dúbravka
2 Ciaran Clark
3 Paul Dummett
4 Ki Sung-yueng
5 Fabian Schär
6 Jamaal Lascelles
7 Andy Carroll
8 Jonjo Shelvey
9 Joelinton
10 Allan Saint-Maximin
11 Matt Ritchie
12 Dwight Gayle
13 Yoshinori Muto
14 Isaac Hayden
15 Jetro Willems
17 Emil Krafth
18 Federico Fernández
19 Javier Manquillo
20 Florian Lejeune
21 Rob Elliot
22 DeAndre Yedlin
24 Miguel Almirón
26 Karl Darlow
30 Christian Atsu
36 Sean Longstaff
43 Matty Longstaff