OPINION
Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar will be suspended for the next match against Arsenal, but that is not the only thing that is set to stand in his way.
The 27-year-old defender is suspended for Newcastle’s clash with Arsenal after picking up 10 yellow cards and he suffered a head injury while on international duty with Switzerland.
This may mean that he would have been sidelined regardless of whether he was suspended or not. As relayed on Chronicle journalist Lee Ryder’s Twitter account, he is set to miss the country’s next game against Denmark as a result.
Newcastle United and Switzerland FA have made a joint decision to withdraw Fabian Schar from the game with Denmark this week following head injury on Saturday #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) March 25, 2019
In this case, Rafa Benitez needs to find someone who can take his place for this match, and he should look no further than Ciaran Clark. The 29-year-old may not have had much game time this season – 14 appearances in total – but there is no one better to step in and do the job.
Federico Fernandez has proved that he is not up to the job after the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, which means that it is a no-brainer that the manager should unshackle Clark.
To be honest, it is not entirely his fault that he has not seen much game time in this campaign. The impressive form of the likes of Schar have just kept him out of the team week after week, which is actually a shame.
The enforcer performed admirably in the games he was called upon to, and this is something that Benitez must bare in mind for the Arsenal clash. All in all, Clark is a pretty decent option to take on the role in Schar’s absence, so the Spaniard must not think twice about starting him.
The Magpies have already shown this season that they can push the Premier League top six sides all the way, and that should be no different against the Gunners. They may be feeling more confident seeing as Schar will not be there, but Benitez would be able to rest easy with his capable replacement.
You know what to do, Rafa.
