Newcastle’s captain United skipper Jamaal Lascelles returned to training after suffering that knee injury at home to Everton when he came off at half time, and Paul Dummett came on.
Lascelles did not make the trip to Bournemouth last week, but with the two-week International break coming up, Rafa didn’t want to take any chances with his center-back.
Ciaran Clark has also returned to training as has Rob Elliott and he returned sooner than expected with his back injury.
So it looks like Newcastle have a clean bill of health with only long-term absentee Sean Longstaff still injured.
Rafa Benitez with captain Jamaal Lascelles
Lascelles back in full training
Of course, we do have some players playing on International duty – like Rondon and Dummett – as examples so let’s hope they return fully fit.
Since Rafa joined Newcastle back in March 2016, he immediately identified the primary cause of injuries Newcastle players were picking up.
He had the old technology 3G artificial turf replaced with the more advanced 4G technology over the summer of 2016.
That, in addition to better training methods and ways to get players back quickly if they do get injured, has meant we are near the bottom of the Premier League injury table – and not perennially top of it.
It is just one of the many improvements Rafa has made on Tyneside – and it sometimes gets overlooked.
We hope Rafa will stay with us past this summer.
Comments welcome.
54 comments so far
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:45 PM
Comment #1As well as identifying areas for improvement
and introducing modern sports science ideas
the main factor imo is , no matter the pressure
players are not rushed back before they are
recovered properly , which constantly seemed
to happen with Rafa’s predecessors.
ronaldo aarons
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:45 PM
Comment #2Mbabu is looking at leaving young boys this summer and reportedly for less than £5m.
ronaldo aarons
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:46 PM
Comment #3https://mobile.twitter.com/Memphis/status/1108859159221624834
The Perez is actually catching on 😀
Lindisfarne
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:47 PM
Comment #4If, and its a big if, the choice was Rondon or Almiron, which would you rather buy?
No one could have predicted, except Rafa, how well Rondon has played for us and a loan was seen as a good thing at the time. If a bit of a risk.
However, now I come to think, the club needed a loan to buy Almiron. It just makes you wonder what the……the owner is about.
Lindisfarne
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:49 PM
Comment #5Could be that injuries were exacerbated by only having one ‘purple’ for each position.
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:53 PM
Comment #6It wasn’t a loan for Miggy per se
The club opened up an open ended
line of credit up to the limit of the TV dosh
which bodes well for the Summer buying.
bettyswallocks
Mar 22, 2019 at 4:54 PM
Comment #7https://images.clipartof.com/Clipart-Fat-Man-Measuring-His-Belly-Fat-Royalty-Free-Vector-Illustration-10241089372.jpg
As Tsunki points out , it would need to be a helluva stick to beat Ashley with. Having said that I really do believe that he deserves to be punished so perhaps our resident BDSM expert Mr. Tuff could advise on the best choice of implement for the mammoth task.
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 5:28 PM
Comment #8You’ve had your 5 day mini holiday lads – back to graft
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 5:35 PM
Comment #9I see another local born midfielder/second striker – Thomas Allan
has been drafted in to join the big boys
DubaiMicky
Mar 22, 2019 at 6:28 PM
Comment #10Re Beardsley, I don’t think he’s a racist or a bully, I reckon he’s more old school.
That said, he’s not been the best trainer we’ve had so I wish him well.
Great player but a bit of a dinosaur sadly (like me).
Jib
Mar 22, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Comment #11Beardsley’s early days in footy were a constant
chronicle of frustration and rejection – the pampered
prima donnas that he had to deal with as a juniors coach
must at times have really boiled his piss.
Ron Knee
Mar 22, 2019 at 7:04 PM
Comment #12So England are in the same group as Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo. Not exactly the Group of Death.
Mag52
Mar 22, 2019 at 7:12 PM
Comment #13C’mon England !
Get us off to a good start tonight.
Finals in England next year don’t forget.
jane
Mar 22, 2019 at 7:53 PM
Comment #14“So England are in the same group as Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Kosovo. Not exactly the Group of Death.”
2 qualify and Bulgaria and Montenegro already dropped points drawing earlier.
Munster Mag
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:15 PM
Comment #15Very true, his injury record is very good.
Ron Knee
Mar 22, 2019 at 8:22 PM
Comment #16“Early stages in this one but Lionel Messi and Argentina have fallen 1-0 behind in their international friendly against Venezuela with Newcastle striker Salomon Rondon on the scoresheet.”
kc2012
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:14 PM
Comment #17Rondon with a lovely goal against Argentina tonight.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y9mXHxzjUrs
RobLeenio
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:35 PM
Comment #18Hell of a goal that by Rondon. England doing ok too…
Mag52
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:39 PM
Comment #19Good win for Southgate’s boys.
Roll on Montenegro on Monday.
ronaldo aarons
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:45 PM
Comment #20Great goal rondon. Best player on the pitch 😉
ronaldo aarons
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:46 PM
Comment #21Rondon was subbed off for Josef Martinez who then scored a penalty before agreeing terms to joint Newcastle in the summer 😉
Charlie in the Gallowgate
Mar 22, 2019 at 9:51 PM
Comment #22Rondon goal
Love the commentator magic !!!!!
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Mar 22, 2019 at 10:34 PM
Comment #23When you see Rondon making that run for the goal that was a Shelvey esque through ball!!
jane
Mar 22, 2019 at 10:50 PM
Comment #24posting this now as i won’t be able to tomorrow
NEWCASTLE UNITED U23 VS. WOLVES U23
Kick-off 12:00
1 Wolves U23 18 +24 37
2 Southampton U23 19 +9 36
3 Reading U23 19 +9 34
4 Aston Villa U23 19 +5 33
5 Newcastle Unit… 18 +10 31
https://uk.soccerway.com/matches/2019/03/23/england/premier-league-2-division-two/newcastle-united-u23/wolves-u23/2864901/?ICID=PL_MS_10
RobLeenio
Mar 22, 2019 at 11:41 PM
Comment #25Big match, that one jane. Could get us up to 3rd.
HWTYL
ronaldo aarons
Mar 23, 2019 at 12:39 AM
Comment #26Speaking of the Venezuela game, this is that Martinez penalty https://mobile.twitter.com/noticias_ahora_/status/1109209344372023298
Proper dodgy run up like lol, never seen it before!
Certainly not lacking in confidence.
lesh
Mar 23, 2019 at 2:31 AM
Comment #27Jib posted @6 saying:
‘It wasn’t a loan for Miggy per se. The club opened up an open ended line of credit up to the limit of the TV doshwhich bodes well for the Summer buying’
Jiblets
Wouldn’t it be easier to copy the link to the words you posted? They’re not yours, they’re much too eloquent compared to your usual language..
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 23, 2019 at 2:56 AM
Comment #28Lesh
Do you understand the term pedantic.
Blimey, words are words, they are what you make them, if Ashley has opened his purse , then whoopee, if not then nowt has changed.
If Jib expresses some optimism, then at least it is something we can hope is true, there’s enough pessimism on this blog most of the time to depress the most depressive of robots who end up in a parking lot for millions of years.
The Marvin syndrome is too prevalent on this blog, i just wish i wasn’t so intelligent at times!!!!!! 😉
Reading this blog will turn me into an alcoholic! 🙂 Is that too non PC?
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 23, 2019 at 2:59 AM
Comment #299 Hours to KO for the U23s against Wolves
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 23, 2019 at 3:05 AM
Comment #30I see that Jack Colback was made captain for Notts Forest, in their latest game, they seem to see something in him we don’t?
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 23, 2019 at 3:08 AM
Comment #31Mind you, seeing how well Rondon is playing at the moment is filling me with dismay, keeps putting his price up?
Essex Geordie Bill
Mar 23, 2019 at 3:08 AM
Comment #32Anyway that’s my two pennporth for tonight, g’dnight all.
jezza442
Mar 23, 2019 at 6:58 AM
Comment #33Lmao that commentator was mint ,was expecting him to shout get ye sel some geordie jeans and a greggs pasty mr rondon your a pure geordie lol
martoon
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:17 AM
Comment #34EGB nice to see you on the blog even it was the middle of the night.
I can’t sleep and amongst the crazy things that come into your head is this – one for you blog experts: If WBA make the playoffs would they be able to play Rondon who’s loan would be at an end?
magscar
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:25 AM
Comment #35Martoon
My take is that his loan is until June and as playoffs are in May then he couldn’t but possibly clubs could agree something? Hopefully he will be discussing his permanent deal with us by then if not already signed? 🙂
sing in the corner
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:42 AM
Comment #36EGB
How’s the head today? 🙂
posada
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:44 AM
Comment #37Good point about Birmingham.
How come Chelsea and Man City get away with it.
sing in the corner
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:45 AM
Comment #38What a finish by the big man against Venezuela last night!
Not for the first time, reminded me of a certain Mr Shearer in his pomp..
Jib
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:46 AM
Comment #39Lesh
I pretty much responded to Lindy’s post straight away
but
You think I found a relevant article cut and pasted it
passed it off as my own and it unbelievably and
coincidentally it used the word dosh.
You call me a liar when I say I’m in Spain
You can’t go 24 hours without inflicting your
political views on us.
You creepy crawl to OLG cos you suspect he
may be a local celeb.
You’ve never once posted anything new,original
or informative about NUFC.
What exactly do you bring to this blog ?
sing in the corner
Mar 23, 2019 at 7:48 AM
Comment #40Oops..against Argentna !