Massadio Haidara is desperate to prove himself again at Newcastle United – but it appears Magpies manager Rafa Benitez has other ideas.
Massadio Haidara knows that he might have ran out of time at Newcastle United. The left-back has barely put together a run of games in a black and white shirt since arriving in Tyneside from Nancy back in January 2013 and, in total, has managed just one league appearance for the club since Rafa Benitez took over a year-and-a-half ago.
But after returning from his latest long-running setback by featuring for 90 minutes in the Under-23s last week, Haidara has told The Chronicle that he is fully focused on getting his once promising Newcastle career back on track.
Though there’s a very real concern that return to the first-team fold could be brought to a premature end. Because The Mirror report that Newcastle boss Benitez is keen to bring Luke Shaw to St James Park on a short-term loan – and Manchester United are open to the idea of their seldom-seen left-back moving to Tyneside to get some minutes under his belt.
Shaw, who once cost United £30 million from Southampton, has been publically questioned on countless occasions by the unimpressed Jose Mourinho so it appears that a move away, albeit temporary, is the best idea for all parties.
Except Haidara, that is. Paul Dummett is now fit again after being absent since the opening day of the season with a hamstring injury, coinciding unhelpfully with Haidara’s long-awaited return.
And if Shaw does arrive in January, Haidara will find himself tumbling ever further down the pecking order with his chances of a fresh start seemingly all but over.
Consequently, Haidara may just have a matter of weeks to impress Benitez in training and show why he desrves anotehr opportunity in the first-team. Because, if he does not made his mark between now and January, Haidara’s Newcastle career could be over.
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