SHELVEY’S TOON FIGHT
OUT-OF-FAVOUR MIDFIELDER FACES BATTLE TO GET BACK IN BENITEZ’S SIDE
Jonjo Shelvey is fighting to save his Newcastle United career.
Shelvey is yet to make the bench after returning to fitness from injury.
The midfielder – who aggravated a thigh problem in last month’s FA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers at St James’s Park – has been limited to just eight Premier League starts this season by injuries and the form of others.
Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff established themselves in central midfield in the absence of Shelvey, Mohamed Diame and Ki Sungyueng last month.
Shelvey, under contract at St James’s Park until 2021, must now wait for another chance in the club’s remaining 10 games along with Diame and Ki.
And Rafa Benitez has admitted that it is “not easy” for the 26-year-old, previously linked with Saturday’s opponents West Ham United, his boyhood club.
“Jonjo needs to prove his match fitness, but match fitness you can only prove by playing games, so it’s not easy at the moment,” said United’s manager.
The only two players unavailable to Benitez are Ciaran Clark and Rob Elliot, and Yoshinori Muto and Antonio Barreca also failed to make the bench for Tuesday night’s 2-0 home win over Burnley.
Newcastle’s fourth successive victory at St James’s Park lifted the club up to 13th in the Premier League ahead of the West Ham game.
“The medical staff keep the players fit, so we have 24 players available,” said Benitez.
“The 11 starters are doing well. We can change one or two players, but they’re doing well.
“Seven players on the bench, that leaves six outside.
“It’s quite difficult (for the players not in the team), but I praise them, because they are very good professionals and training really hard, even though they’re not playing and not on the bench.
“Hopefully, we can carry on doing the same and if I have a chance I will give an opportunity to people to be sure that everybody can be involved.”
Meanwhile, Benitez is expecting a different game at the London Stadium, where Newcastle beat West Ham 3-2 last season.
“West Ham will be another tough test, different to this one, because they’re a team that pass the ball,” he said.
“I saw their last game. They’re strong, and they have pace.”