Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez has suggested that his side are not looking at ending Kenedy’s loan early, but hinted that he is hoping for an improvement in the winger’s performances.
The Brazilian has struggled to recapture the form that made him such a hit in Tyneside last term since rejoining the Magpies form Chelsea over the summer.
But manager Benitez has suggested that he will not look to end the 22-year-old’s stay early.
As quoted by the Chronicle, he said: “It is true that he is not playing at the level of last year, and sometimes players have confidence when they are doing things.
“He told me the other day that he knew he was not playing well and these mistakes mean that he loses a bit of confidence.
“We tried to explain to him that the only way to change that is to carry on, and hopefully he will do that. He will stay; at the moment, I think so.”
OPINION
Kenedy’s downturn in form has been one of the most disappointing aspects of Newcastle’s season so far. The Brazilian was electric during his time on Tyneside last campaign, and Toon fans were ecstatic to see him return to the club from Chelsea over the summer, but his failure to rekindle the kind of performance has left many agitated with the 22-year-old. He was left out of the starting 11 on he youngster needs to turn things around quickly before he is phased out of Benitez’s plans completely. The Magpies can ill-afford to be carrying any dead weight this season, and Kenedy could be an especially costly passenger given the fact that he is taking up a precious domestic loan space. Funds will be limited in January and the loan market could be a viable option for the Toon Army, but at the moment they are unable to approach clubs from England over potential deals because they have already filled their quota. Benitez claims that Kenedy is safe, but if he doesn’t sharpen up soon, he could be out of the door.