RAFA’S READY TO CUT LOOSE
No parking the bus for trip to Forest
RAFA BENITEZ will have no hesitation in parking the bus again when he takes Newcastle to champions Manchester City on Saturday.
Before then, the Magpies travel to Nottingham Forest tomorrow night for a Carabao Cup second round tie when it is unlikely that Benitez will adopt the same safety-first tactics he used in their 2-1 home defeat against Chelsea on Sunday.
The Toon boss is set to ditch the five-man backline against Aitor Karanka’s Championship side.
And there is likely to be a recall for captain Jamaal Lascelles, despite his misgivings about the ultra-defensive system Benitez employed on Sunday.
Lascelles is expected to shake off the ankle injury which the club claim led to him sitting out the Chelsea game though it is understood the centre-half had voiced his concern at the role Rafa had planned for him three days before the game.
Newcastle’s players know there will be times when Benitez enforces the same ultra-cautious plan with this weekend’s trip to the Etihad Stadium an obvious example.
Striker Salomon Rondon was often stranded upfield on his first Toon start but knows it will not be the last time he’s handed the lone striker’s role. “We played defensively and they had 81 per cent possession but we still created some chances,” said Rondon of the Chelsea defeat. “You always try to get the win but the top teams make it difficult. “Our schedule is very difficult. We play the big five early on and we’ll do our best to get some points.” While Rondon missed Toon’s best chance against Chelsea, sub Joselu came off the bench to make it two goals in three games.
He, too, thought the Magpies had no option but to focus on their defence.
“We played with what we think is the best system,” he said. “Chelsea had a lot of the ball but didn’t create many chances and that’s why we prepared for the game in this way.”
Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey is likely to be sidelined for another fortnight with a calf problem.
But Kenedy is available again having been ineligible to play against his parent club.