OPINION
Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez may have thought the end of the transfer window would bring some respite from a painful summer, but a first-team injury blow in the Magpies’ opening fixture has ensured that is most certainly not the case.
Right-back DeAndre Yedlin limped off in the closing moments of their 2-0 defeat by Tottenham with a knee complaint that looked relatively serious, and is now likely to miss at least a couple of games for Benitez.
As reported by the Chronicle, the club are not hopeful of a swift recovery for Yedlin, who is all but certain to miss their trip to Cardiff City this weekend at the very least.
That leaves Benitez with a big conundrum already, with his failure to bring in cover in the wing-back positions already coming back to haunt him just one game into the new season.
His two options to replace Yedlin are Javier Manquillo or academy starlet Jamie Sterry, and Benitez’s choice between the two should be clear.
Manquillo has not shown he has what it takes to compete in the Premier League during his 23 appearances for the club, and Sterry must therefore be handed a first-team shot.
The 22-year-old right-back has made five first-team appearances for the Magpies in his career so far, and Benitez must give him the chance to build on that against Cardiff on Saturday.
Sterry has been one of the very few success stories out of the Newcastle academy in recent years, and what is the point of developing these players if they are not given a shot?
The young wing-back was recently reported by the Chronicle to have got stuck into pre-season training with the Magpies, and that kind of hunger will go down well at St. James’ Park.
Manquillo has had his chance, and Sterry must now be given his.
