OPINION
Newcastle United boss has handed outcast Achraf Lazaar a lifeline after he was welcomed back into first-team training this week.
As shown in photos posted to the club’s official website, the Morocco international has been training with the senior squad this week after months with the Under-23s.
In the photos it is clear that several members of the Under-23 set-up have been called up to train with the first-team, with Benitez likely to be making up the numbers with the international break well under way.
While this may therefore be just a temporary measure, Benitez’s decision to welcome Lazaar back into the fold does present the 26-year-old with a make-or-break shot.
No matter the manager’s initial thoughts on the situation, if Lazaar storms through training this week and impresses enough, then he may have no choice but to keep him around the senior side.
Lazaar is an internationally-capped player who obviously has some talent otherwise the Magpies would not have bought him in the first place.
And, his natural position of left-back is an area of serious concern for Benitez at the moment, with Paul Dummett being his only real option there.
So, should Lazaar perform well enough in training then Benitez may be forced into handing him a more permanent place among the first-team in the lead up to the January window.
The 26-year-old must now pour everything he has into training this week in a bid to impress Benitez and potentially earn another first-team shot on Tyneside.
This is truly make-or-break for Lazaar, who will inevitably be offloaded in January should he fail to convince Benitez he is good enough to make an impact.
