Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed that he will be missing midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung after the club’s clash with Fulham on Saturday due to his inclusion in South Korea’s Asia Cup squad.
The summer signing, who arrived on a free transfer from Swansea City, has been a mainstay for the Magpies in recent weeks, having started the last six games and with 11 matches under his belt across all competitions.
However, as revealed by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope on his personal Twitter account, Benitez has revealed that the 29-year-old is set be an absentee and that he could be missing until February.
Rafa Benitez confirms that Ki will leave for the Asia Cup after tomorrow’s game versus Fulham. Could be missing until early February.
— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) December 21, 2018
Opinion
Not the news that Newcastle fans would have wanted to hear and certainly not the news that Benitez would have wanted to be delivering. The South Korean has emerged as one of the club’s top performers after a slow start to his career at St James’ Park and the fact he is keeping the likes of Jonjo Shelvey out of the starting XI demonstrates just how impressive he has been for the Magpies this season. Losing him in the middle of the park brings about a lack of options at Benitez’s disposal and he may well be looking at dipping his toes into the January transfer window to help bolster his side. Yes, Ki might not be out for too long in 2019 but his absence highlights a serious weakness in the senior squad and it is something which needs addressing much sooner rather than later. The fact Ki is now being considered a major loss shows a remarkable turnaround on Tyneside and the fans will be hoping for a swift return for their new star man.