Chancel Mbemba has played just seven Championship matches for Newcastle United this season.
Rafael Benitez has told the Shields Gazette that Newcastle United defender Chancel Mbemba has impressed him in training since returning from the African Cup of Nations.
Mbemba was away representing Congo in the international tournament, but returned earlier than expected, after his nation went out in the early stages of the competition.
Benitez admits that Mbemba wasn’t at his best when he returned from Gabon due to fitness issues, but more recently the powerful centre-back has caught the eye in training.
And the Spanish boss admits that Mbema’s form in training has given him a selection headache.
“When he came back (from AFCON), he was a little bit stiff with a few problems,” he said.
“But this week he has been training better, so the problem I have now is the competition between players.
“They are doing well, and imagine we have 27 players, just two injuries, so 25 players have to compete for just 18 places.”
Mbemba has struggled for game time at Newcastle this season, with Benitez generally favouring other options.
The 22-year-old has made just seven appearances for the Magpies this term, and has not been seen in a competitive match since November.
Newcastle are next in action later today, when they take on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.
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