Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez has told the Evening Chronicle that he is getting close to deciding the eleven that will start the first league match of the season against Fulham.
The Magpies’ first game of the season is a Friday night kick off on the 5th August, just two weeks away, and Benitez is aware he doesn’t have a great deal more time to assemble his squad and to shape his side:
“Soon, we will have to be saying, ‘Okay, this could be the team that starts’. The good thing is that in the games so far, we have been able to give a chance to everyone. We needed to do that because we need to know we have players that can do the job if we have to change one or two players. They need to know what they have to do and how they have to play.”
The arrival of Grant Hanley for £5.5million will certainly help matters. The Magpies only had two senior centre backs in Chancel Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles before the Blackburn Rovers captain arrived at the club, and no doubt Rafa will be keen to bring in more arrivals, certainly now that Georginio Wijnaldum has all but sealed his £25million move to Liverpool. With the departure of Moussa Sissoko also seemingly inevitable, Benitez may look to strengthen the midfield in the coming weeks.
