The bulk of the squad returned for pre-season training yesterday and were put through their paces by Hughton and Colin Calderwood.

Many of them did so facing uncertain futures on Tyneside with the business of trying to sell the club ongoing and Alan Shearer still waiting to hear if he will be appointed as manager.

Owner Mike Ashley is hoping a deal can be concluded within days, although it is understood that while progress is being made, the process has been painstaking and there is still ground to be covered.

Ashley is asking £100million for a club which cost him £134.4million a little more than two years ago and one which has cost him almost as much again since.

He has insisted from the off that he will accept the first bid which meets his valuation, and investment bankers Seymour Pierce, who are handling the sale, are expecting to receive firm offers within days.

However, as speculation mounts over the identities of the competing parties, it remains unclear just who is leading the way.

At least four consortia have signed non-disclosure agreements and held talks with Seymour Pierce, although two of them are understood to be a great deal closer than the others to formalising their interest.

An American-based group is thought to be among the front-runners, although claims earlier this week that former chairman Freddy Shepherd was close to sealing a deal were played down by both his camp and sources close to the negotiations.

But Ashley has never set any deadline for interested parties to make contact and there remains scope for someone to make a late run.

Such is the delicacy of the ongoing discussions that the time-frame is changing by the day, and while there could yet be significant developments within the next 48 hours, any announcement may not come until next week.

But Hughton has insisted the players must put the turmoil to one side and prepare for the new season as they would any other, even if several of them could be putting in the groundwork for other clubs with departures inevitable once a new manager is in place.

Commenting on yesterday's sessions, he said: "The day went well and there was no difference, in many ways, to any other pre-season.

"There's a job to be done and the mood was good. I was pleased.

"Whatever the situation at this club or any other club, one thing that doesn't change is that the players quite look forward to the first day.

"The first day is always a good day, and that was the case yesterday.

"The players haven't seen each other for quite some time and the mood was upbeat.

"They wanted to get to work. They are professional enough not to let what's happening outside affect them.

"The focus is on getting fit and they have looked after themselves very well in the summer.

"A lot of them have been doing fitness programmes in the summer, and they coped very well."

The Magpies head off for a week-long training camp in Ireland on Sunday, although they will be without Sebastien Bassong, Jonas Gutierrez, Geremi and Xisco, who have been on international duty with their respective countries since the end of last season.

They will return to training on Monday, July 13, while Damien Duff, who played in the Republic of Ireland's 1-1 World Cup draw in Bulgaria on June 6, will meet up with the squad in his native country ahead of next Saturday's first friendly against Shamrock Rovers.