Newcastle United have been dealt a blow with the news that midfielder Jonjo Shelvey likely won’t return to action until the Premier League game against Huddersfield Town on February 23, according to The Chronicle.
The England international hasn’t featured for the Magpies since playing 33 minutes against Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup third round at the start of January.
Now it appears that Rafael Benitez will have to wait a little while longer for the precocious former Swansea City man to return to the middle of the park.
However, Paul Dummett, Ki Sung-yueng and Mohamed Diame are all expected to be in contention to play against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Monday.
OPINION
There’s no mistaking the fact that not having Shelvey available in the short term is a blow to Newcastle’s chances. However, the return date of the Huddersfield clash is timely indeed. That looks set to be a huge game for Benitez’s side and if the Spaniard can employ Shelvey’s services than Newcastle’s chances of victory will increase dramatically. Having said that, the Englishman faces a fight to win his first team spot back once he returns. Sean Longstaff and Ki, in particular, have excelled in recent months, while Diame and Isaac Hayden have been fairly solid this season. Suddenly the centre of midfield is a very crowded area of the pitch for Newcastle. Shelvey has the most natural ability of any of the aforementioned players, of course, but whether that will be enough to get him back in Benitez’s good graces remains to be seen. His continuing absence is a blow, to be sure, but the competition for places in central midfield makes it less so.
