Benitez Rejects Kenedy Exit Talk

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez says he has no plans to cancel Kenedy’s loan stay and challenged the winger to rediscover his form.

Kenedy impressed in the second half of last season during his first temporary spell at Newcastle and returned to St James’ Park in the summer on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.

The 22-year-old forward has struggled for form in recent weeks and was left out of the squad for the draw with the Hornets last time out.

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It has been suggested Newcastle could seek to cancel his loan deal, but Benitez insists he intends to keep hold of Kenedy.

When asked if he was considering terminating the loan, Benitez told The Shields Gazette: “No. At the moment we want to see the Kenedy we signed, who we saw doing really well for us during the second part of the league last season. Hopefully, he can do the same for us during the second half of this season, too.”

Benitez has challenged Kenedy to force his way back into contention, and indicated he could return to the squad for the visit of Manchester United on Wednesday.

He added: “It’s true he’s not playing at the level of last year. He told me the other day he knew he was not playing well, and these mistakes means that he loses a bit of confidence. We tried to explain to him that the only way to change that is to carry on.”