ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic will start his first game for Newcastle United in tonight’s friendly at York City.

The £14m Serbian striker officially started training with the Magpies squad on Monday and has been thrust straight in to the starting line-up at Bootham Crescent.

McClaren was desperate to give the former Anderlecht front-man match action as soon as possible and he will lead the line against the Minstermen.

Otherwise it is a relatively youthful looking Newcastle side, which also has Siem De Jong skippering it as the No 10 and Yoan Gouffran providing further experience. Teenagers Lewis Suddick and Louis Johnson are named on the bench by McClaren.

Karl Darlow will play in goal and Rob Elliot provides the back-up after a day when Newcastle’s teenage goalkeeper Freddie Woodman joined League Two side Crawley Town on loan.

The 18-year-old will be at the Broadfield Stadium until January 3 and provides him with senior competitive football for the first time.

Last season, Woodman was named on the substitutes' bench for the first-team on a number of occasions, although is yet to make his competitive Magpies bow.

York City: Flinders; McCoy, Lowe, Winfield, McCombe, Straker, Berrett, Summerfield, Penn, Oliver, Trialist. Subs: Ingham (gk), Swan, Trialist, Nolan, Platt, Rzonnca, Godfrey, Meikle, Ilesanmi, Carson.

Newcastle: Darlow; Bigirimana, Lascelles, Satka, Ferguson; Abeid, Perez; Gouffran, De Jong, Aarons, Mitrovic. Subs: Elliot (gk), Kemen, Johnson, Suddick.