Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez’s side were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City at the weekend.
Newcastle put in a credible performance at the Etihad Stadium, but ultimately left empty handed, as City ran out 2-1 winners.
Benitez made a surprise change during the second half, when Kenedy was replaced.
But the Spanish boss insists that the reason he took Kenedy off was because he was struggling with headaches.
Benitez said: “He (Kenedy) had some headaches. He was a little bit down.
“We could see at half time that he was not fine, but he wanted to continue. We could see he was not fine, though.”
Football has become far more aware of the severity of head injuries in recent times, so it is no surprise that Benitez was taking no risks with the Brazilian.
Kenedy remains an integral part of Newcastle’s team, even though he is yet to really hit top form this season.
The Chelsea loanee was brilliant at Newcastle last season, but he hasn’t hit the same heights yet.
Newcastle are currently on a two week break from competitive action, with their next match coming against Arsenal at St. James’ Park.
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