Newcastle United will have gone 16 days without a game and will be itching to get back to Premier League action against Arsenal on Monday.
With half the squad in international action, Rafa Benitez has been working with those who don’t have national team honours on a plan to try and upset the Gunners at the Emirates. But the rest of the group have been back since the weekend and Newcastle released a training gallery on Friday.
So what did it tell us about preparations for Monday. Mark Douglas noted how United are shaping up for the Arsenal trip.
Rafa Benitez has plenty of options now
With only Fabian Schar - through suspension - and an injured Sean Longstaff missing out, Rafa Benitez has plenty of options across the field ahead of Arsenal.
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For all that Newcastle’s squad has been criticised for a lack of quality, there is strength-in-depth with Mo Diame, Isaac Hayden and Jonjo Shelvey all battling for coveted midfield slots. At the back Ciaran Clark is in the mix for the defensive roles that Florian Lejeune, Federico Fernandez and Paul Dummett had a fortnight ago at Bournemouth. Even up front, where Yoshinori Muto and Joselu are back without knocks, Benitez has players battling for starts.
It has created a competitive, positive atmosphere on the training ground.
Salomon Rondon’s in-form and ready for the Gunners
He has scored in each of his last three games and arguably this could end up being Salomon Rondon’s best season yet as he chases down the 14 goal tally that he scored for Malaga in 2010/11.
Rondon hasn’t moved into double figures in a Premier League season yet but needs only one more to hit that mark – and after scoring against Argentina in the international break he’s certainly a man in form.
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There might not be many chances for Rondon against Arsenal but if Newcastle provide him the same sort of service that he’s had all season, you wouldn’t back against him netting against another of the big clubs this season. He certainly looked in the mood at Benton.
Jonjo Shelvey’s pressing hard for a start
You could argue that when Shelvey has a point to prove, he’s at his very best. And he certainly is playing with that mentality after feeling he’s been unfairly written off while he’s been absent through injury.
To be fair to Shelvey he sustained the problem in the first place because he simply wanted to play in every game and that hasn’t changed. He’s desperate to take up his position in one of the biggest away games of the season.
And Shelvey, who was excellent against Everton but wasn’t handed a start at Bournemouth, may be smarting from that oversight.
Miguel Almiron showing no after effects from midweek red card
Almiron was all smiles – no change there then – despite courting controversy for a nasty challenge while playing for Paraguay that saw him handed a red card in their international friendly against Mexico.
The winger was one of a number of players to arrive back on the training ground on Friday following long haul trips and that might yet have an impact on Benitez’s selection. DeAndre Yedlin was also in America over the international break.
Don’t forget Antonio Barreca – or Kenedy
The forgotten men of United teamed up on the training ground with the Italian left-back and Brazilian maverick both apparently looking pretty good in training sessions.
Whether that will be enough for either loan man to stake a claim to be in the squad is unclear. Time is running out for either to get a permanent move – if, that is, they actually want one.
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