Newcastle United’s forgotten man Chancel Mbemba is in line for a recall shortly it seems.
Rafael Benitez has hinted to The Chronicle that he will use the final few weeks of the Premier League season to give some fringe players a run-out with Newcastle United.
Twelve points clear of the relegation zone, Newcastle are now guaranteed top-flight football next season after a difficult first seven months back in the big time.
Five wins and one draw from their last Premier League games means that Benitez – whose side are 10th in the table – has the luxury of changing things up a bit for the final four matches.
One man who could benefit from the Magpies’ survival is Chancel Mbemba, the £8 million defender that Benitez has effectively exiled since January.
But the Spanish manager admits that both he and Ciaran Clark could get chances to impress in the coming weeks.
He told The Chronicle, when asked about the duo: “It’s difficult for them because the team won a few games in a row recently.
“I have repeated the team, but now maybe I will make some changes and give some players the opportunity to impress in the last few games.
“They know that they have to keep training well and maybe it will be easier for me to send the message across that I want to make changes. Now everybody has the option to do well for the team.”
Mbemba, whose last appearance came on January 28, appeared to do very little to deserve the snubs, but few can argue that Newcastle haven’t thrived without him, though the popular Congolese stalwart could get a chance to save his career at St James’s Park with a strong end to the campaign.
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