Speaking to the Chronicle, Mikel Merino insists he is ready to replace Jonjo Shelvey at the middle of the park for the clash against Huddersfield Town this weekend.
Newcastle United suffered a very disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur in their Premier League opener at St. James’ Park on Sunday and it would be fair to state that Jonjo Shelvey’s moment of madness was one of the main reasons behind the Magpies’ defeat on the day.
While Newcastle were not playing particularly attractive football, they had managed to contain the dangerous Tottenham attack until Shelvey’s red card and following the dismissal, the Magpies simply crumbled as expected.
With Shelvey now banned for at least three matches, manager Rafael Benitez has to replace the Englishman in the starting lineup for the clash against Huddersfield Town this weekend and new signing Mikel Merino has widely been viewed as a possible candidate.
The Spaniard has now gone on to speak about his readiness to start the encounter and has stated that if given the chance, he will be looking to impress the Newcastle United faithful.
When asked if he was in good condition to start the game, Merino told the Chronicle, “I am getting fitter. I am trying to get to 100% and stay there. I felt good after the Tottenham game, I’m strong and healthy. Let’s see, I have had one more week to be ready and get to 100% and I will be at my perfect capacity soon.
“I feel comfortable here because everybody has been helping me. Everybody is really kind to me and that helps when you are happy with your team-mates. The crowd and the stadium are right behind the players so I’m really happy.”
“I want to prove myself, help the team and do everything I can for them. The manager will decide who is playing. All the other players have to push the team in the right direction and whoever plays will do a job.”