Rafa Benitez has explained his decision to omit Kenedy from Newcastle United’s squad to face Watford on Saturday.
The 22-year-old was not included in the Spaniard’s travelling party as the Magpies picked up a crucial point in a 1-1 draw, courtesy of a Salomon Rondon header.
Speaking after the match, as quoted in the Chronicle, Benitez explained his decision to leave the Brazilian at home.
He said: “It was a technical decision. This group of players were training really well and I wanted to just give them the chance stay here and do well during the game.
“We have to realise that the key for us has to be the team effort, and has to be every player giving 100 per cent.
“You can see that the players were doing well in the first half, but they made substitutions that, on paper, are better players, and that is the Premier League.
“We have to be sure that for us everyone is focused, concentrated, and is giving everything because we need the help of everyone.”
OPINION
The signs are really not good for Kenedy at the moment. After a string of really disappointing performances, the decision to omit him entirely form Newcastle’s squad for such a crucial match that Benitez will have earmarked as very winnable is a damning indictment of just how poor he has been in recent weeks. When the 22-year-old was brought back to Tyneside this summer, the general consensus was that the Magpies had pulled off a real coup, given how impressive he was towards the end of last season, but now, things look bleak for the winger. With January approaching, Benitez will be fully aware that Kenedy is taking up one of his two available domestic loan spaces, and if the Brazilian is going to be nothing more than a passenger for the rest of the season, there really is no point in keeping him. Benitez suggests that he has no intention of ending his loan deal early, but the selection he made on Saturday would suggest otherwise.
