Welcome return for Hayden is on the horizon
TIMELY INJURY BOOST FOR BENITEZ
NEWCASTLE United have been handed a welcome boost with the news that Isaac Hayden looks set to return to full fitness after the international break.
Injury problems have been mounting at the Magpies’ Benton training base in recent weeks, but midfielder Hayden is back in training and looks set to be in contention for a start against Wigan Athletic on Saturday week.
The England Under-21 international – who celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday – has not featured since the league leaders’ victory over Derby County on February 4 after undergoing ankle surgery last month.
Jonjo Shelvey and Jack Colback started eight successive matches together in defensive midfield in Hayden’s absence, before illness saw the former left on the bench for the goalless draw at Birmingham City.
Mo Diame was deployed in a deeper role in order to cover Shelvey’s absence, but Hayden looks set to return for United’s final eight matches of the campaign after training with the squad this week.
Asked about whether Diame could be utilised in a holding midfield role once again, Benitez explained: “He could play in that position but it also depends on the players around him.
“Hopefully Hayden will be back in a few days and then we should also have Jonjo back to full strength.
“With Jack as well that means quite a lot of competition – but it’s good to have options, especially if you have to change something during a game.”
Diame and Ayoze Perez have been interchanged regularly in the No 10 role this season.
However, 29-year-old Diame is more accustomed to playing in the deeper position he occupied at St Andrew’s.
“I thought he was fine,” Benitez said of Diame’s performance in the deep-lying midfield role.
“We knew it could be a difficult game because they have three players in the middle and we had to manage that.
“But I thought Mo gave us some fresh legs and won plenty of second challenges.
“He was fine, he was passing the ball and also regaining some balls that we lost.
“It was just disappointing that maybe some of the things we did in the wide areas could have been better.
“That might have helped us score a goal. It didn’t really happen though.
“I wouldn’t say that we were happy, but maybe one more point with one less game is positive.”
While Hayden’s imminent return is a positive, news that Daryl Murphy could miss the Wigan game due to a calf injury will not have been welcomed by Benitez.
Murphy returned to Tyneside from international duty on Tuesday amid fears among the Republic of Ireland management that the striker had suffered a recurrence of a similar calf complaint he first aggravated back in October.
However, Grant Hanley and Rob Elliot – both of whom were forced to withdraw from their respective international squads with knee injuries – were pictured training with Newcastle yesterday.