Newcastle United defender Florian Lejeune appears to be nearing a return to training as he steps up his recovery from a knee injury.
The Frenchman has been sidelined in recent weeks due to an injury problem but delivered an update on his condition via Instagram, as he captioned a video of himself running on a treadmill “1 month, keep going”.
Newcastle boss Benitez has been utilising a more defensive-minded system in recent weeks given the fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City and Lejeune’s return to action will undoubtedly be a welcome boost.
The arrivals of Federico Fernandez and Fabian Schar from Swansea City and FC Basel respectively are sure to heighten competition for places in the central defensive berths, but Lejeune had established a strong partnership with Jamaal Lascelles throughout last season.
Newcastle have endured a difficult start to the Premier League season, picking up just one point from their four opening fixtures. This leaves them in the relegation zone, but Benitez will hope that the club’s fortunes pick up in the immediate future.
