Newcastle United manager has confirmed that he has absolutely no intention of recalling central midfielder Jack Colback to his first-team squad and that the Englishman will continue to train with the Magpies’ under-23 side until he finds a way out of the club.
Benitez was questioned as to Colback’s situation with regards to the recent injury to first-team midfielder Mikel Merino, who is set for a couple of weeks in the sidelines.
Asked if Colback would be drafted back into the squad to ease the burden of the Spaniard’s injury, Benitez said (via ESPN):
He’s training in the academy with under-23s. He knows what the situation is and we will continue working with the players we have available now.
He knew from the beginning we have four or five midfielders and I didn’t want to have six. We couldn’t manage to move any more players out at the end of the transfer window or find teams for them, and you can’t train as well with too many players around in the same position. I didn’t want that.
Colback was not included in Benitez’s 25-man Premier League squad back in August and the Spanish manager’s comments essentially confirm that the 28-year-old’s exile from first team action is permanent. Benitez continued:
Without Merino, we can play Mo Diame, Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden and Henri Saivet — even Chancel Mbemba played as a midfielder at the African Cup of Nations.
It’s not a situation that for games, you will not have players, I think we have enough bodies.
Colback joined Newcastle United from bitter rivals Sunderland in 2014 and has since made 94 appearances for the club, scoring five goals.
