Rafael Benitez will continue to freeze-out Ki Sung-yeung at Newcastle United due to concerns over his mobility, according to a reliable journalist.
Chronicle reporter Chris Waugh revealed in a question-and-answer session on the newspaper’s live blog (Wednesday, 1.54pm) that the south Korean, 29, must improve his physical condition before he can return to the fray.
Waugh explained “Benitez is concerned by Ki’s lack of mobility, and that Newcastle have been working on trying to improve that before bringing him back into the side”.
OPINION
It is certainly a bizarre situation with Ki. An experienced Premier League performer who has 107 international caps under his belt, he was signed in the summer as the replacement in central midfield for Mikel Merino. But he has barely played, making just three appearances in total, one of which was in the League Cup, and has not even made the squad for three of Newcastle’s last four Premier League matches. While it is understandable that he is behind first choice central midfield pairing Jonjo Shelvey and Mohamed Diame, it is less clear why he is lagging way off Isaac Hayden, who is desperate to quit and return south of the border, and rookie Sean Longstaff in the pecking order. Ki himself admitted to the South Korea media during the international break that is nothing to with fitness issues. He has been playing for his country and looks in decent nick. If Benitez doesn’t think he’s mobile enough, why was he signed and handed a two-year contract? It doesn’t add up.