Clark could return for Preston showdown, says boss

The centre-half has not figured for the Magpies since last month’s 3-1 defeat at home to Fulham, having been an almost ever-present beforehand.

Without him, Newcastle have picked up just eight points from a possible 18, and have been displaced by Brighton & Hove Albion at the top of the table, Chris Hughton’s side already assured of their place in the Premier League next term.

Though Benitez does not attribute his side’s recent loss of form to Clark’s absence, he is pleased to see the Irishman close in on a first-team return.

“Clark has been training with the team, and we still have two more sessions (before Monday’s game). I think he will be available, but we will assess him in the next two sessions,” he said.

“When you have players coming back from injury, it is always good news. The competition will increase, and it is a positive for everyone in the training sessions. It is another option – and that is always good.

“I think the other players were trying – some were doing well, and some were not doing so well, because as a team, we made mistakes, and not just the defenders. When you have players doing well, and the comprehension and understanding between them is good, then maybe sometimes you miss them. But, in this case, I would say I was quite pleased with the attitude of the other players.”

Depending on results elsewhere, Newcastle could make sure of their return to the top-flight with victory over Simon Grayson’s Lilywhites.

The visitors, however, may well be buoyed by United’s struggles of late. After back-to-back home wins against Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion earlier this month, the Magpies are winless in their last three outings, and suffered a 3-1 defeat at mid-table Ipswich Town on Easter Monday.

To buck the trend, Benitez feels his side must eradicate recent “mistakes” from their game when they take on North End for the third time this season.

“Sometimes, you have to give credit to the other team, and sometimes, you pay for the mistakes you make – that happened against Leeds. The other day (against Ipswich), we did not play at the level we used to play, especially away, where we have a very good record,” he said.

“It was a bad game, but we were not suffering. They didn’t have any chances, and then we made a mistake, and gave them a chance. When we scored our goal, we made another mistake, and gave them another chance. This is something we have to analyse, work on, and we have done that this week.

“When you play games in a short time, you need to recover. You have players that are more tired than you were expecting, and then if something is wrong, it is not easy for some of them to recover. If something is right – when you score a goal, or play well – it is easier. When you make a mistake and concede a goal, in your head, it is always more difficult. For some players, these situations are different, and each one has a way to react. In this case, we didn’t react properly and we have to put things right now.”