Newcastle will bring the curtain down on their 2022/23 Premier League season with a fixture at Stamford Bridge against a struggling Chelsea side.
Were they to win and Man United fail to win against Fulham, the Magpies will leapfrog the Red Devils into third position.
Even if the status quo remains the same, a fourth placed finish is hugely creditable from Eddie Howe and his side.
Champions League football is already guaranteed in 2023/24, and to that end, Howe will need to get the absolute maximum from his squad.
Getting into Europe has probably come a little quicker than expected, and the test for Howe and his backroom staff is to keep the team competitive both domestically and in Europe.
One player that would appear to benefit, should he stay with the club next season, is Martin Dubravka.
According to quotes released by The Talk of the Toon, Howe has promised the Rafa Benitez signing that he will play much more than he did during the 2022/23 campaign.
“I very much hope his future is here. I rate Martin very highly, I always have done,” the Newcastle managed noted.
“It was just that last summer we had the opportunity to recruit Nick (Pope), and Nick has done incredibly well so it’s been difficult for Martin to get the game time that he wants.
“We need as good a squad as we can have going into a season where we’re going to have loads of games, so if Martin were to stay, I think he’d get a lot of football.”
To this point, Howe would appear to be a man of his word, and very rarely says anything other than give straight answers in interviews.
Dubravka clearly now has a choice to make as to whether he takes what his manager says at face value and sits tight to wait for his opportunity, or starts making moves to see what other opportunities may be available to him.