Merino could stake his claim as Newcastle modern great against Chelsea

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The Newcastle United midfielder has been hugely impressive so far.

Mikel Merino slotted seamlessly back into the Newcastle United starting line-up in the 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion and the midfielder will hope to thrive in Saturday’s game away to Chelsea.

Merino has impressed since joining Newcastle from Borussia Dortmund in the summer, immediately demonstrating his composure in possession and showing that he can dictate the tempo of matches.

While Merino was sidelined with a back injury Newcastle lost three consecutive Premier League games, providing an indication of how he has quickly become a very important part of the team.

Newcastle will certainly have to be at their very best if they are to get anything from their trip to Stamford Bridge and Merino will have a major part to play in proceedings.

Winning the midfield battle will be vitally important for Newcastle and Merino will have to pay particular attention to his defensive duties to prevent Chelsea from being able to inflict major damage upon them.

When he is presented with an opportunity to push forwards, Merino must seize it and look to get the ball to Newcastle’s attackers as quickly as possible.

Merino has already proved popular with the Newcastle supporters and, should he inspire a victory against Chelsea, he will take another step towards becoming a modern day hero for the club.