OPINION
When Newcastle right-back DeAndre Yedlin limped off the field in the closing moments of their opening day loss to Tottenham last weekend, focus immediately shifted to the options available to Rafa Benitez to replace him.
The two replacements that were put forward were Javier Manquillo and academy player Jamie Sterry, who spent much of pre-season training with the first-team.
While Yedlin’s injury was obviously a blow, and one which has now luckily been found to be minor, it was still an opportunity for one of these players to impress in a rare start against Cardiff today.
Manquillo was the player chosen by Benitez to deputise, and unfortunately for the 24-year-old, his poor display in the 0-0 draw may be the final nail in the coffin for his St. James’ Park career.
The right-back failed to deal with Josh Murphy in any way, shape or form during the first-half, and there was immediate danger of an early bath after he was shown a yellow card after half an hour.
Manquillo’s shift was, unfortunately for him, cut short at half-time following an injury, and while replacement Isaac Hayden fared even worse after a second-half red card, this should be the Spaniard’s last chance in a Newcastle shirt.
Manquillo has now made 24 first-team appearances for the club since joining last summer, and he has never really shown the ability to cope with Premier League football.
It is hard to see what he brings to the right-back position, with Manquillo possessing average pace, little power and poor defensive instincts.
While Benitez should obviously keep him around for now, with few other options available and the threat of injury always present, Manquillo should not be given another opportunity to stake his claim for a starting spot.
The Spaniard is simply not good enough for Premier League football, and he must be offloaded and replaced in January, or next summer at the latest.