Newcastle United are entering the crunch period of their Premier League campaign, with the Magpies having just seven games to build upon their four-point advantage over the relegation zone and secure safety.
It’s been a difficult season for Rafael Benitez’s side, with their activity in the transfer market limited by a spending cap and the fact that the Tyneside giants are up for sale, but the Spaniard has done well with his recruits.
One man who has particularly caught the eye in his maiden campaign in England is Spanish U21 international Mikel Merino, who initially arrived from Borussia Dortmund on-loan but immediately impressed enough to make his switch permanent.
However, Merino has struggled to get games since the turn of the year and has only started two matches, raising questions from supporters, but Benitez has revealed it’s purely down to the upturn in form from Mohamed Diame and Jonjo Shelvey.
Speaking to The Shield’s Gazette, he said:
“Jonjo’s been doing well, Diame’s been doing well, and so it’s been difficult for Merino and (Isaac) Hayden. But they have to keep competing. That’s it. He’s not playing so much, because the others are doing well.”
“He has to compete and make sure he gets back in the side. Always, we want to sign the best players, and when we have the best players here, then someone has to be on the bench.”
“We need players who can dictate the tempo of the game, manage the game for us, and when Mikel was playing well, Jonjo needed to work harder. Now Jonjo’s doing well, so Mikel has to work harder.”
Newcastle face fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town this weekend, where a win could put the Magpies on the brink of safety.
