KARL DARLOW is determined to start next season as Newcastle United’s first-choice goalkeeper, even though Tim Krul is expected to be available for the start of pre-season training.

Krul has not played since rupturing his cruciate ligaments while on international duty with Holland last October, but his recuperation is going to plan and he should be available to link up with the rest of the Newcastle squad at the end of next month.

With Rob Elliot set to miss the first couple of months of next season as he completes his own recovery from injury, Krul will expect to start the campaign as the Magpies’ number one.

However, Darlow showcased his own credentials as he started the final eight games of last season, and Rafael Benitez could opt to keep faith with a player who did not let him down despite Newcastle’s relegation.

Darlow boasts extensive experience of the Championship, having played in more than 100 games for his previous club, Nottingham Forest, and his emergence in the final two months of last season might persuade Benitez to sell Krul if offers arrive.

Even if Krul remains on Tyneside, however, he will face a major battle to dislodge Darlow, who silenced his critics with a series of accomplished performances as Newcastle finished last term on a six-game unbeaten run.

“I feel as though I did alright after I came into the team,” said Darlow. “It’s obviously a different standard in the Premier League, and I knew I was going to need a run of games to really sink my teeth into it.

“It’s a different category to playing Championship football, but once I got my head around that in the first few games, I felt settled and proved to myself more than anything that I can play in the Premier League. We’ll see what happens next season now.”

Benitez’s decision to remain on Tyneside has helped maintain the feel-good factor that was apparent in the final few weeks of the campaign despite Newcastle’s drop into the second tier.

The final game against Tottenham was more of a celebration than a wake, and Darlow is hoping last month’s momentum will carry over to the start of the Championship campaign.

“It was important that we finished well,” he said. “We were playing against a team that started the game second in the league, but we beat them convincingly. That should help us go into next season with momentum. Hopefully, we can build on that when the new season starts.”

Newcastle will head to County Kildare in Ireland for a week-long training camp between July 9-16, although at this stage there are no plans to play any matches as part of the trip.