With Sean Longstaff done for the season, who should take his place in the Newcastle United starting lineup?
A phenomenal breakout season met an early end as Sean Longstaff is expected to be out the remainder of the Premier League campaign with a knee ligament injury. Ironically, the young midfielder got his chance to break into the lineup due to injuries to Jonjo Shelvey, Mo Diame, and international duty for Ki. With Rafa Benitez likely to stick with the in-form Isaac Hayden at one holding midfield spot, who should replace Longstaff as the first-choice man the rest of the year?
If #NUFC rule Sean Longstaff out against Everton due to injury, who should start in his place?
— Newcastle Toons (@NewcastleToons) March 6, 2019
As you can see in the above poll, which Jonjo Shelvey is leading, the three candidates are Shelvey, Ki, and Mohamed Diame. Let’s take a look at the case for each player.
Jonjo Shelvey
11 appearances, 68 accurate long balls, one assist
Our readers and Twitter followers are sharp as they have Shelvey comfortably ahead in the poll. He’s the most logical replacement because he’s arguably the most talented player of the group when fit and his long passing brings a similar play style to Longstaff. With Miguel Almiron in the fold and the desire to flip the field with quick counter-attacks, I think Shelvey’s pinpoint passing and vision could be massive.
Ki
11 appearances, one assist, 37.45 passes per match
Before he left on international duty with South Korea, you could argue that Ki was the most important player for Newcastle United. He controlled the midfield with his short passing and high football IQ. Then, he left and returned injured and hasn’t been able to retake his spot. Now that Longstaff is out, Rafa could elect to bring Ki back into the fold to slow the tempo down and grab hold of the possession battle in the middle of the park.
Mo Diame
24 appearances, 62% tackle success rate, 24 interceptions
Simply put, Diame would not be the selection here if offensive ability is the determining factor. Both Shelvey and Ki possess more going forward than Mo. But, he is without a doubt the most imposing figure of the three and could pair with Hayden to simply shut down the opposing midfield with interceptions and timely tackles.
Who should it be?
Shelvey. Despite the injuries, he’s one of the most talented players on the roster and he plays the most similar to Longstaff if Rafa wants some type of continuity. I think Ki’s playstyle isn’t as suited for counter-attacking and if you play Diame and Hayden, you will severely lack playmaking ability in the midfield. If he’s fit, Shelvey should be the man to step up for the injured Longstaff.