Newcastle manager Rafa Benitez says he is happy to have four strikers competing for starting places, and he doesn’t mind being put in a difficult position in terms of who to choose if it means all are training and playing well.
The Spaniard told the Evening Chronicle that Aleksandar Mitrovic is raring to go, and is now close to full match fitness after being suspended for the first four matches of the season:
“Mitrovic is training well. We have good competition; Murphy is training well, Gayle is doing well, Ayoze was doing well as a striker. I am pleased that I have this competition and for them they have to realise it is a long season and they have carry on training hard, pushing to put me in a difficult position.”
Benitez says he will be sticking to a rotation policy as he manages the squad through a gruelling season in the Championship but he says he does understand the desire of the strikers to play regularly:
“All of them are ready to play. Ayoze was doing well and then I didn’t play him so he is desperate to play, Murphy has told me he is desperate to play. Gayle will expect to play too because he is scoring goals.”
“All of them expect to play every game. That is really positive. They have to realise we want to be at the top of the table at the end of the season, so we have to manage the squad until the end of the season.”
Newcastle face Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road tonight and it looks likely that Mitrovic will start the match after Benitez’s positive comments about his fitness. The 21 year old has started just one match in the EFL Cup against Cheltenham so far this campaign.
