Rafa Benitez reveals what Jonjo Shelvey’s return means for Sean Longstaff.
Jonjo Shelvey could have to wait for his chance at Newcastle United.
The midfielder has recovered from the injury which has kept him out for the past seven weeks.
Rafa Benitez has also been without Mohamed Diame and Ki Sung-yueng, but United’s manager has everyone fit for this afternoon’s home game against Huddersfield Town.
However, 21-year-old Sean Longstaff, promoted to the first-team squad last summer, has impressed alongside Isaac Hayden in their absence.
Shelvey, Diame and Ki can’t expect to walk back into the starting XI.
“Longstaff is doing well, Hayden has come back,” said Benitez.
“They are two different kind of midfielders. We have Ki who can give you some good possession, good decisions. The difficult thing for me now is to pick the right ones for the right games. It’s better to have this problem than to have just two (midfielders). It will give us something different.
Rafa Benitez “We have Diame who is a really good worker, and we have Jonjo who can give you these really good long passes.
“The difficult thing for me now is to pick the right ones for the right games.
“It’s better to have this problem than to have just two (midfielders). It will give us something different.
“Jonjo being fit is very good, and he will increase the competition in the middle of the pitch. It’s very good.”