OPINION
Newcastle United’s Jonjo Shelvey has had a pretty underwhelming season by his standards and with the summer transfer window around the corner there is every chance he could be on his way out.
Fans might have even thought they had seen the last of him after being snubbed by manager Rafael Benitez in recent weeks, his last appearance after coming back from injury the 73 minutes picked up against Brighton – with just 98 minutes of action in the last eight games.
With Isaac Hayden, Mo Diame and Ki Sung-yueng preferred ahead of him in the St James’ Park pecking order, it would come as no surprise to see him out the exit door this summer – but he looks set for one final chance to prove Benitez and his doubters wrong.
As revealed in the pre-game press conference at the training ground, Benitez, as relayed by journalist Lee Ryder, crucially revealed that Ki would be missing through injury, leaving six-cap England international Shelvey as the most likely replacement as a creative midfielder.
Ki has been ruled out of the Fulham game with a knee injury. #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) May 10, 2019
With little to play for other than pride and bragging rights for both sides, this could well be Benitez’s chance to give those on the fringes a run out and to get some much needed game time under their belts – Shelvey included.
A fantastic passer of the ball, he has not been missed much at all by the Magpies but he will still want to show how much of a game changing presence he can be in the middle of the park.
Sunday is surely his last chance to earn a future at St James’ Park and if not that, then to put himself in the shop window for a summer move.