OPINION
Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff has been the club’s number one success story of the season so far, and for good reason too.
His inclusion at the turn of the New Year sparked a deserved, lengthy run in the starting XI and won him crowds of admirers along the way, most notably the hearts of the St James’ Park faithful.
One player who has missed out due to the 21-year-old’s sparkling form is midfielder Mo Diame, who after returning from injury has found himself on the bench with Benitez preferring his younger teammate.
However, that could all be about to change after a significant flashpoint in the 2-0 loss to West Ham on Saturday evening, may have delivered a potential blow to the Magpies boss’ preferred line-up.
Longstaff left the London Stadium on crutches, as stated by reliable journalist Lee Ryder on Twitter, after a crunching tackle with the Hammers’ Robert Snodgrass, and if he faces a long spell on the sidelines, then it may be up to Diame to shine in his place.
Sean Longstaff leaving the ground on crutches ?#nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) March 2, 2019
An opportunity to get a run in the starting XI in the place of the young ace is not going to come about very often, so if he does end up having an injury, Diame must make the most of the time he has to demonstrate to Rafa Benitez that he is the man to take control of the midfield.
The 31-year-old has not had the best of seasons this time around and more often than not, he has been on the receiving end of some pretty dire criticism from the supporters.
Well, the next few weeks could be the ideal chance for him to redeem himself and win back the hearts of the fans that he has lost this term.
The experienced midfielder – who has made 24 appearances this season – is the perfect candidate to take Longstaff’s place, depending on how serious his injury is of course.
Over to you, Mo.