Schar senses 'unfinished business' after six months out

Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar is feeling "excited" and "ready to go" after recovering from an ankle injury and a subsequent foot infection which has kept him out of action since January.

The 34-year-old, who signed a one-year contract extension in June, is preparing for his ninth season at St James' Park and is looking to build on his 251 appearances for the Magpies.

"It is great to be back," Schar, who is the club's second-longest serving squad member, told club media, external. "The first days of pre-season are normally not the best because you have testing, but it is always nice to see everyone.

"After not being with the team for a long time, starting training again is a good feeling.

"I was very pleased to sign my contract extension. I don't have to say what the club means to me; it was always my first choice to stay here so I'm glad we found an agreement and we got it done early.

"It has been a difficult time with my injury and my foot so I was glad I could really focus on coming back, knowing what was going to happen this year and being ready for day one.

"There was unfinished business. I feel I am still able to add something to the team. I've worked really hard and I'm ready to go.

"Hopefully I can try to enjoy this season. I'm going to need some time to adapt after being out for such a long period of time, but I feel confident in my body and myself. I'm going to use this pre-season to come back as strong as possible."