Newcastle suffered an embarrassing 5-1 defeat against local rivals Middlesbrough on Tuesday.
Magpies captain Jamaal Lascelles and home midfielder Lewis Wing were both sent off in the match following an off-the-ball altercation - sources described it as a 'grappling match' - but they will avoid a suspension in the regular season, instead missing Monday’s rematch between the teams on Tyneside.
Newcastle’s pre-season is turning into a nightmare for the head coach with serious injuries to goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and striker Dwight Gayle followed by Tuesday’s heavy loss at Championship side Boro.
Bruce has been desperate to add some more fresh faces to his squad before the season starts and will be even more convinced they need some new blood after this showing.