Though Rafa Benitez may not have been able to strengthen his squad in the way he might have liked over the course of this summer, he does options in central defence.
Indeed, the arrivals of Florian Lejune and Mikel Merino over the course of the window so far have seriously strengthened his back line, joining the likes of Chancel Mbemba, Jamaal Lascelles and Ciaran Clark on Tyneside.
While Merino can also operate in central midfield, it seems Benitez has quite the selection headache on his hands ahead of the Magpies’ return to the Premier League.
With that in mind, we recently posed the question, does Lascelles start?
The Toon skipper has been a huge presence at St. James’ Park of late and his reported outburst at Southampton prior to the relegation in 2016 helped set the wheels in motion as the club looked to rebuild.
However, the 23-year-old was relatively inconsistent in the Championship at times, while partner Clark impressed over the course of pretty much the whole campaign.
Mbemba, meanwhile, may have endured a difficult season last time out, though is a popular figure amongst the supporters and did look well suited to life in the top tier during his first season in black and white.
Summer signing Lejune has particularly impressed in pre-season, leading us to ask the question.
A pretty resounding 80% of you don’t believe he does.
It’s not too much of a surprise in all honesty, considering the opposition he’s up against, though the former Nottingham Forest man did play pretty well during Benitez’s short run in the Premier League before dropping down into the Championship.
Our Verdict
We’re inclined to agree. Lascelles is a huge presence for Newcastle, though must improve in his concentration if he’s going to command a regular starting berth in the Premier League.
Thougths?
