STEVE Bruce says he's currently facing a battle for his players to get to the required level of fitness in time for the Premier League season. 

Newcastle United played out a 1-1 pre-season draw against League One Rotherham United at the New York Stadium. 

They fell behind through Michael Smith's header in the eight minute but salvaged a draw towards the closing staging when Jeff Hendrick glanced home from a corner. 

Bruce confirmed after the game that Allan St Maximin was missing due to illness while Joelinton could return to action in their next pre-season friendly on Friday evening.

While most the side that played this evening were also in action at the Keepmoat Stadium last Friday in the friendly win over Doncaster Rovers, Bruce is determined get his players to the required sharpness in time for the season.

“We played extremely slowly and got slower" said Bruce. 

"The first half an hour we were nowhere near what’s required but we’ve worked a lot, over the last couple of days.

“We weren’t really looking for any performances of anything like that. I’m just trying to build a fitness level into them.

“We knew that after the game the other night and since then we’ve put into the them as well so it’s evident that there was a few tired bodies.

“As I’ve said all along it’s about getting players ready and having minutes. The accumulation of minutes is vitally important to ourselves.

“Isaac Hayden and Ryan Fraser in particular because obviously they were missing for six weeks previous so we’ve got one or two issues with sickness but overall I think everybody’s come through."

Bruce told BBC Radio Newcastle after the game that Allan Saint-Maximin is “not well, he’s sick. It’s a disappointment, but we hope he’s not going to be out for too long.”

Newcastle's next pre-season friendly is against Burton Albion this Friday.