OPINION
On his day, when he is fully fit and in the zone, there are few players who can play the deep-lying creative midfield role as excellently as Jonjo Shelvey.
The Newcastle United ace has one of the finest passing ranges in the Premier League and, crucially, has the vision to match it.
That’s why his absence for much of this season has been such a big loss for the Magpies. In already threadbare squad, losing the man who makes everything tick in the engine room was always going to be a huge blow.
Toon fans will be delighted, therefore, to see their creative heartbeat making such good progress on his return from injury.
Shelvey was pictured taking part in full training alongside the rest of the squad during the Magpies’ warm weather training break in Marbella this morning, as posted on the club’s official Twitter account.
?? Jonjo Shelvey joined in with some of this morning's session, and the team will train again this afternoon as the midfielder looks to edge nearer to a return to action following a thigh injury.
Full gallery: https://t.co/e4wsGqEZBg #NUFC pic.twitter.com/vNRTNi41hy
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) February 13, 2019
Aside from anything else, supporters will be drooling over the prospect of Shelvey bringing his creativity back into a midfield that looks drastically different, and much improved, since his spell on the sidelines.
Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden have been exemplary in the middle of the park, while new signing Miguel Almiron already has tongues wagging after his livewire cameo against Wolves on Monday night.
Competition for places will be high, especially with Mo Diame and Ki Sung-yueng also making their returns in the near future, but chucking Shelvey in alongside a hungry young player like Longstaff and providing the ammunition for Almiron in front of him is enough to get pulses racing across Tyneside.
Rafa Benitez has options for the first time in a long, long time, and he’ll be over the moon that Shelvey is one of them.