Rafa Benitez set for triple injury boost at Newcastle United

Rafa Benitez is hoping for a triple injury boost for Newcastle United’s visit to Molineux – but he doesn’t expect to have Jonjo Shelvey back.
Rafa Benitez.Rafa Benitez.
Rafa Benitez.

Benitez’s side take on Wolverhampton Wanderers on February 11.

And Mohamed Diame, Ki Sung-yueng and Paul Dummett are “close” to being available.

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Diame, out for the past month with a hip problem, trained last week, but Saturday’s game against Tottenham Hotspur came too soon for him. Ki returned from the Asian Cup with a hamstring injury.

Shelvey, meanwhile, has been out since aggravating a thigh injury after coming off the bench in Newcastle’s third-round FA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers on January 5. Dummett has been out for a month with a hamstring problem.

Benitez said: “I think Diame, Ki and Dummett are quite close, more so than Jonjo.

“We’ll see, but the others are quite close, so hopefully they will be available.”

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In the absence of Diame, Shelvey and Ki, Benitez has fielded Issac Hayden and 21-year-old Sean Longstaff in midfield.

Meanwhile, Tottnham manager Pochettino praised his team after they overcame a “well-organised” Newcastle 1-0 thanks to a mistake from Martin Dubravka, who fumbled a late shot from Heung-Min Son.

“Newcastle was a very well organised team, playing deep and not giving us much space,” said Pochettino. “We knew it was going to be difficult second-half, because Newcastle grow in belief.”