Newcastle United

Benitez must resist temptation to start Ki v Wolves

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OPINION

Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has earned himself a string of admirers after being thrown into the mix by Rafa Benitez a few weeks ago.

He has been simply sublime recently, with his latest outing coming against Tottenham in the 1-0 loss on Saturday.

However, Benitez has now provided an update on his midfield teammates that could now throw a spanner in the works, saying that Ki Sung-yueng and Mo Diame could be fit in time to face Wolves in a clash next Monday.

“I think Diame, Ki and Dummett are quite close, more so than Jonjo. We will see but the others are quite close so hopefully they will be available [against Wolves],” he said, as quoted by the Chronicle.

However, as tempting as it may be to start the likes of Ki if he is fit enough, Benitez must resist the temptation to start him, as the team have got along just fine without the South Korea international’s quality.

The midfield has been one of Newcastle’s shining points in recent times, and it is safe to say that Longstaff’s combination with Isaac Hayden has been excellent lately.

Why would Benitez put an abrupt end to that by dropping the likes of Longstaff and starting Ki? It would be simply nonsensical for him to do such a thing.

He must allow Longstaff to progress at the rapid rate he is currently at, as he could soon become the mainstay that the fans have been crying out for.

There is no denying the talent that Ki has, he has proved that for the majority of the season, but for now, he must sit on the sidelines and watch Longstaff continue to make jaws drop.

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