OPINION
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden has enjoyed a sustained run in the first team of late, but that could soon be coming to an end.
Magpies manager Rafael Benitez confirmed to The Chronicle on Monday that: “[Mohamed] Diame, Ki [Sung-yueng] and [Paul] Dummett are quite close, more so than Jonjo [Shelvey]. We will see but the others are quite close so hopefully they will be available [against Wolves].”
That update from Benitez has surely ensured that Hayden’s days as a starter are over. With Ki and Diame set to return in time for the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Monday it’s unlikely that the former Arsenal man will continue in Benitez’s good graces.
Hayden has done alright over the past month or so, but he has been anything but spectacular. While youngster Sean Longstaff has grabbed his chance in the team by the scruff of the neck, Hayden has merely clutched at it with weak hands.
You have to think that when all of Newcastle’s central midfielders are fully fit, as they will be soon, that Hayden will be the least likely to take the field.
Longstaff is essentially undroppable at the moment for Benitez, while Diame has been one of his most trusted lieutenants for some time. Ki, too, was very impressive earlier this season before leaving for Asian Cup duty.
So with those three all set to be available against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, it’s hard to see Hayden starting the game. He is a defensive midfielder by trade, but Diame is arguably better at that aspect of the game than him.
Going forward, there’s no doubt that both Longstaff and Ki are superior to Hayden, with Shelvey also streets ahead of him.
With all that being considered you have to say that his time as an automatic starter in this Newcastle team is very much at an end.
