Hayden was one of many signings to arrive at Newcastle, while Rafa Benitez is happy to make changes to his side to keep his players fresh for a long season.
Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden and Huddersfield Town’s Nahki Wells in action
Newcastle United midfielder Isaac Hayden has told the club’s official website that he believes everyone is on board with Rafa Benitez’s approach and what is required from the manager.
One of the requirements for Newcastle’s players this season has been to be prepare to be rotated as Benitez has looked to keep his side fresh while challenging for a return to the top flight during a 46-game season.
Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez
Hayden told the club’s official website: “There’s a lot of games in the Championship as we all know. The manager likes to rotate and he likes to keep players fresh.
“I think everyone’s on board with what he wants going forward and everyone who is associated with the club needs to be pulling in the right direction to get it back to where it belongs – in the Premier League.”
Newcastle United’s Isaac Hayden scores their first goal
It was one of the reasons the Spaniard brought 12 new players into the club during the summer, including Hayden, as he looked to shape his squad for a serious challenge for promotion, while simultaneously having enough options to keep his side fresh throughout the season, and prepare for the possibility of returning to the top flight next season.
Newcastle a firmly in touch with those sides at the top of the table – and are just three points behind leaders Huddersfield Town – while it seems the EFL Cup could be used as an opportunity for players on the fringes to impress as they have made it to the last-16 stage of the competition, where they have a winnable tie coming up against Preston North End. Hayden has featured in 10 of Newcastle’s 11 league games so far this season.
Newcastle United Manager Rafael Benitez
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