Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has praised Islam for his impact in their 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in Saturday’s English Premier League outing.
The 29-year-old made his long-awaited debut against David Wagner’s men, as a second-half substitute for Dwight Gayle.
And despite making a 15-minute cameo, the defender believes his presence paved the way for Ayoze Perez's winner.
“He [Slimani] came on, he was handful and because of his presence in the box, it makes some room for Ayoze’s [goal],” Lascelles told NUFC TV.
The Algeria international who joined the St James' Park outfit on loan during the January transfer window from Leicester City has struggled with a thigh muscle strain injury which kept postponing his maiden appearance for Rafael Benitez's side until Saturday's win against Huddersfield.
The attacker will not take part in their upcoming league encounter when the Magpies travel to the King Power Stadium to take on his parent club on Saturday.
RUN-IN
BOURNEMOUTH
April 7 - Crystal Palace (H)
April 14 - Liverpool (A)
April 21 - Manchester United (H)
April 28 - Southampton (A)
May 5 - Swansea (H)
May 13 - Burnley (A)
WATFORD
April 7 - Burnley (H)
April 14 - Huddersfield (A)
April 21 - Crystal Palace (H)
April 30 - Tottenham (A)
May 5 - Newcastle (H)
May 13 - Manchester United (A)
BRIGHTON
April 7 – Huddersfield (H)
April 14 – Crystal Palace (A)
April 21 – Tottenham (H)
April 28 – Burnley (A)
May 5 – Manchester United (H)
May 13 – Liverpool (A)
TBC – Manchester City (A)
NEWCASTLE
April 7 – Leicester (A)
April 14 – Arsenal (H)
April 23 – Everton (A)
April 28 – West Brom (H)
May 5 – Watford (A)
May 13 – Chelsea (H)
TBC – Tottenham
SWANSEA
April 7 – West Brom (A)
April 14 - Everton (H)
April 21 – Manchester City (A)
April 28 – Chelsea (H)
May 5 – Bournemouth (A)
May 13 – Stoke (H)
TBC – Southampton (H)
HUDDERSFIELD
April 7 – Brighton (A)
April 14 – Watford (H)
April 21 – Chelsea (A)
April 28 – Everton (H)
May 5 – Manchester City (A)
May 13 - Arsenal (H)
CRYSTAL PALACE
April 7 – Bournemouth (A)
April 14 – Brighton (H)
April 21 – Watford (A)
April 28 – Leicester (H)
May 5 – Stoke (A)
May 13 – West Brom (H)
WEST HAM
April 8 - Chelsea (A)
April 16 - Stoke City (H)
April 22 - Arsenal (A)
April 29 - Manchester City (H)
May 5 - Leicester City (A)
May 13 - Everton (H)
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SOUTHAMPTON
April 7 – Arsenal (A)
April 14 – Chelsea (H)
April 21 – Leicester (A)
April 28 – Bournemouth (H)
May 5 – Everton (A)
May 13 – Manchester City (H)
TBC – Swansea (A)
STOKE CITY
April 7 - Tottenham (H)
April 14 - West Ham (A)
April 21 - Burnley (H)
April 28 - Liverpool (A)
May 5 - Crystal Palace (H)
May 13 - Swansea (A)
WEST BROM
April 7 - Swansea (H)
April 14 - Manchester United (A)
April 21 - Liverpool (H)
April 28 - Newcastle (A)
May 5 - Tottenham (H)
May 13 - Crystal Palace (A)
NEWCASTLE 1 HUDDERSFIELD 0 (Perez)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie (Atsu 67), Shelvey, Diamé (Hayden 79), Kenedy, Pérez, Gayle (Slimani 75)
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Manquillo, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 3 SOUTHAMPTON 0 (Kenedy, Ritchie)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey (Merino 83), Diamé, Kenedy (Atsu 78), Pérez, Gayle (Joselu 69)
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Manquillo, Darlow, Atsu
LIVERPOOL 2 NEWCASTLE 0
Dubravka, Lejeune, Lascelles, Dummett, Yedlin, Diamé, Merino (Hayden 73), Kenedy, Atsu, Murphy (Pérez 84), Gayle (Joselu 66)
Subs: Clark, Ritchie, Manquillo, Darlow
BOURNEMOUTH 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Gayle 2)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie (Manquillo 84), Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy (Atsu 64), Pérez, Gayle (Hayden 78)
Subs: Clark, Joselu, Merino, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 1 MAN UTD 0 (Ritchie)
Dubravka, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diamé, Kenedy (Atsu 84), Pérez (Hayden 90+4), Gayle (Joselu 80)
Subs: Murphy, Manquillo, Merino, Darlow
CRYSTAL PALACE 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Diamé)
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie, Diamé (Hayden 65), Shelvey, Kenedy (Atsu 57), Pérez (Merino 80), Gayle
Subs: Murphy, Dubravka, Manquillo, Lejeune
NEWCASTLE 1 BURNLEY 1 (Lascelles)
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Atsu (Murphy 64), Diamé, Merino, Kenedy (Ritchie 72), Pérez (Gayle 85), Joselu
Subs: Shelvey, Gayle, Hayden, Manquillo, Woodman
CHELSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 0
Darlow, Manquillo (Murphy 77), Mbemba, Lascelles, Clark, Haidara, Hayden (Atsu 83), Saivet, Shelvey, Ritchie, Gayle (Joselu 64),
Subs: Dummett, Diamé, Yedlin, Woodman
MAN CITY 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Murphy)
Darlow, Manquillo (Yedlin 66), Hayden, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Murphy, Shelvey, Diamé, Atsu (Pérez 64), Joselu (Gayle 76)
Subs: Elliot, Ritchie, Merino, Haidara
NEWCASTLE 1 SWANSEA 1 (Joselu)
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Shelvey (Merino 82), Diamé, Ritchie, Pérez, Atsu, Gayle (Joselu 64)
Subs: Elliot, Murphy, Hayden, Manquillo, Haidara
FAC NEWCASTLE 3 LUTON TOWN 1 (Perez 2, Shelvey)
Woodman, Manquillo, Lascelles (Hayden 30), Clark, Dummett, Murphy, Shelvey (Diamé 71), Merino (Saivet 81), Ritchie, Pérez, Gayle
Subs: Aarons, Joselu, Haidara, Darlow
STOKE CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Perez)
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Manquillo, Shelvey, Diamé, Murphy (Dummett 82), Atsu (Gayle 64), Ritchie, Pérez (Hayden 90).
Subs: Joselu, Merino, Haidara, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 0 BRIGHTON 0
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett, Ritchie (Pérez 72), Hayden, Merino (Shelvey 76), Atsu, Joselu (Murphy 84), Gayle
Subs: Diamé, Mbemba, Manquillo, Woodman
NEWCASTLE 0 MAN CITY 1
Elliot, Yedlin, Mbemba (Merino 77), Lascelles, Dummett, Manquillo, Aarons (Atsu 71), Diamé, Shelvey, Murphy, Joselu (Gayle 62).
Sub: Clark, Ritchie, Pérez, Darlow
WEST HAM 2 NEWCASTLE 3 (Saivet, Diamé, Atsu)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Manquillo, Ritchie, Saivet (Mbemba 84'), Diamé, Atsu (Murphy 90+1'), Gayle (Pérez 76'), Joselu
Subs: Dummett, Aarons, Haidara, Darlow
ARSENAL 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Murphy (Gayle 67), Merino (Diamé 82), Hayden, Atsu (Ritchie 54), Joselu, Pérez
Subs: Clark, Dummett, Aarons, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 0 EVERTON 1
Darlow, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Merino (Pérez 86), Shelvey, Atsu, Diamé (Joselu 67), Ritchie (Aarons 74), Gayle
Subs: Elliot, Clark, Murphy, Hayden
NEWCASTLE 2 LEICESTER CITY 3 (Joselu, Gayle)
Darlow, Yedlin, LejeuneBooked, Clark, Manquillo, Ritchie (Atsu 64), Hayden, Merino, Murphy (Pérez 71), Joselu (Mitrovic 88), Gayle
Subs: Elliot, Lascelles, Shelvey, Diamé
CHELSEA 3 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gayle)
Darlow, Mbemba, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Diamé (Shelvey 75), Merino (Yedlin 85), Ritchie, Murphy, Pérez (Hayden 62), Gayle
Subs: Elliot, Aarons, Joselu, Mitrovic
WEST BROM 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Clark, Rondon og)
Darlow, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Mbemba, Hayden (Shelvey 80), Merino, Ritchie, Pérez, Murphy (Aarons 64), Joselu (Mitrovic 73)
Subs: Elliot, Gayle, Diamé, Manquillo
NEWCASTLE 0 WATFORD 3
Elliot, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Ritchie, Shelvey, Diamé (Merino 69), Murphy (Pérez 77), Gayle, Joselu (Mitrovic 69)
Subs: Aarons, Mbemba, Darlow, Gámez
MAN UTD 4 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gayle)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo, Murphy, Hayden, Shelvey, Ritchie (Aarons 66), Gayle (Diamé 77), Joselu (Mitrovic 71)
Subs: Pérez, Mbemba, Darlow, Gámez
NEWCASTLE 0 BOURNEMOUTH 1
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles (Clark 55), Lejeune, Manquillo, Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey, Atsu (Murphy 82), Gayle, Joselu (Pérez 68)
Subs: Diamé, Darlow, Gámez, Mitrovic
BURNLEY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Shelvey, Diamé (Gayle 83), Ritchie (Murphy 79), Pérez (Hayden 76), Atsu, Joselu
Subs: Clark, Saivet, Darlow, Gámez
NEWCASTLE 1 CRYSTAL PALACE 0 ((Merino)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Hayden (Merino 56), Shelvey, Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 66), Atsu, Joselu (Mitrovic 78)
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Darlow, Gámez
SOUTHAMPTON 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Hayden, Perez)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Ritchie, Shelvey, Hayden, Atsu (Murphy 82), Perez (Merino 63), Joselu (Gayle 69).
Subs: Darlow, Clark, Gamez, Diame.
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 1 (Joselu)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Manquillo, Shelvey, Merino (Hayden 74), Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 90+1), Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 79)
Subs: Murphy, Lejeune, Darlow, Gámez
BRIGHTON 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba (Gámez 83'), Hayden (Shelvey 68'), Merino, Ritchie, Pérez, Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 71')
Subs: Murphy, Diamé, Manquillo, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 2 STOKE CITY 1 (Atsu, Lascelles)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Hayden (Shelveyat 69'), Merino, Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 86'), Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 78')
Subs: Murphy, Manquillo, Lejeune, Woodman
SWANSEA 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lascelles)
Elliot, Manquillo, Clark, Lascelles, Gamez, Hayden (Diame 69), Merino, Ritchie, Perez, Murphy (Atsu 59), Joselu (Gayle 78).
Unused subs: Shelvey, Lejeune, Yedlin, Woodman.
NEWCASTLE 3 WEST HAM 0 (Clark, Joselu, Mitrovic)
Elliot, Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Merino, Hayden (Diaméat 82'), Ritchie (Murphy 88'), Pérez, Atsu, Joselu (Mitrovic 72')
Subs: Aarons, Saivet. Gámez, Woodman
LC NEWCASTLE 2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3 (Mitrovic, Aarons)
Darlow; Sterry (Lazaar, 58), Hanley, Mbemba, Gamez; Saivet, Barlaser (Hayden, 70); Murphy, Diame, Aarons (Ritchie, 76); Mitrovic (Joselu, 105).
Subs not used: Woodman, Lascelles, Manquillo.
HUDDERSFIELD 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Hayden (Diame 76), Merino, Atsu, Perez (Murphy 80), Ritchie, Gayle (Joselu 52).
Subs not used: Saivet, Aarons, Darlow, Mitrovic.
NEWCASTLE 0 TOTTENHAM 2
Elliot, Manquillo, Lejeune (Mbemba 34'), Clark, Dummett (Lascelles 7'), Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie, Pérez, Atsu, Gayle (Merinoat 76')
Subs: Murphy, Aarons, Merino, Darlow, Mitrovic
PRE-SEASON
NEWCASTLE 2 HELLAS VERONA 0 (Perez, Atsu)
Elliot (Darlow 64), Manquillo (Gamez 64), Lejeune (Lascelles 64), Clark (Mbemba 64), Dummett (Merino 64), Ritchie, Shelvey (Aarons 64), Hayden, Atsu (Murphy 64), Perez (De Jong 72), Mitrovic (Diame 64)
WOLFSBERG 1 NEWCASTLE 3 (Mitrovic, Ritchie Pen, Atsu)
Elliot (Darlow, 70), Manquillo (Mbemba, 70), Lejeune (Lascelles, 70), Clark, Dummett (Gamez, 70), Ritchie (Murphy, 70), Shelvey, Hayden (Merino, 70), Atsu (Aarons, 70), Perez (de Jong, 70), Mitrovic (Diame, 46).
Subs not used: Colback, Gayle.
MAINZ 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gamez)
Darlow (Woodman 60), Yedlin (Manquillo 27), Clark (Mbemba 46), Lejuene (Merino 79), Dummett (Gamez 46), Colback (Shelvey 60), Diame (Perez 60), Murphy (Hayden 60), Ritchie (Aarons 46), De Jong (Atsu 60), Mitrovic (Gayle 60)
BRADFORD CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 4 (Gayle, Murphy 2, Mitrovic)
Elliot (Woodman, 61), Yedlin (Manquillo, 46), Lejeune (Mbemba, 61), Clark (Saivet, 77), Dummett (Gamez, 61), Atsu (De Jong, 61), Shelvey (Aarons, 61), Hayden (Colback, 77), Ritchie (Murphy, 46), Perez (Diame, 46), Gayle (Mitrovic, 61).
PRESTON 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Mitrovic)
Elliot (Darlow, 46, Woodman, 70), Mbemba, Hanley (Yedlin, 46), Lejeune (Manquillo, 77), Dummett (Clark, 46), Atsu (Murphy, 46), Diame (Colback, 46), Shelvey (Hayden, 46), Aarons (Perez, 46), de Jong (Roberts, 62), Mitrovic (Gayle, 46).
HEARTS 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Gayle 2)
Elliot (Woodman 63), Aarons(Gamez 46), Clark (Dummett 46), Mbemba (Hanley 62), Lascelles (Lejeune 46), Haidara (Colback 62), Shelvey (Saivet 46), Diame (Armstrong 62), De Jong (Lazaar 75), Atsu (Perez 46), Gayle (Mitrovic 46)