OPINION
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez had a tough summer as he wrestled with club bosses to get his transfer targets signed, and that has left him with a squad that is lacking in depth.
His lack of options in certain areas has already been highlighted by an injury to right-back DeAndre Yedlin, which has luckily been assessed as minor this week.
One position in which Benitez is seriously struggling is in central midfield, with his favoured pairing of Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame being backed up by Ki Sung-yueng and Isaac Hayden.
Hayden has however added to Benitez’s problems this week by reaffirming his desire to leave the club to head south for family reasons, with the Mirror claiming that his requests have so far fallen on deaf ears.
The midfielder has reportedly been told he remains part of the club’s plans, with Benitez making it clear in a press conference this week that no senior players would be allowed to leave the club.
And, while Benitez’s stance is understandable, with the Spaniard having just four recognised options in the centre of midfield, this is a risky decision that may come back to bite him this season.
Keeping an unhappy player around is always a big gamble, with the risk of them becoming a destabilising influence in the dressing room constantly looming.
Hayden does not necessarily seem like the kind of player who would do that, but the fact that it is being reported he wants to move for family reasons means that there could be some animosity that grows between the two parties.
Allowing him to leave would also be far from ideal, but there will be players ready to step up if needed throughout the season, and the chance of bringing in a replacement in January.
Hayden has put Benitez between a rock and a hard place here, and whichever way this one ends up could be damaging to the Magpies’ hopes of improving on their last campaign.