Mixed news on injury front, reveals Rafa

All three players were forced off at Brentford on Saturday, Gayle having opened the scoring for United in a 2-1 win.

However, the Magpies’ leading marksman is progressing quicker than anticipated according to Benitez, who is also expecting to have Hayden available after tomorrow’s Emirates FA Cup Third Round replay against Birmingham City at St. James’ Park.

With the trio set to sit out the tie – and with Christian Atsu, Mohamed Diame and Chancel Mbemba all involved at the Africa Cup of Nations – youngsters Jamie Holmes, Stuart Findlay, Yasin Ben El-Mhanni and Dan Barlaser have trained with United’s first team this week.

Though numbers are thin on the ground ahead of the Blues’ visit, Benitez is hopeful that those who are involved can end the club’s long wait for a victory in the competition.

“To have three players away, and to lose three in the same game is not good for anyone here, but we have to manage the situation. We didn’t want to draw against Birmingham (ten days ago), but it has happened, and now we have to be sure to do well, go through and start thinking about another game,” he said.

“Hayden’s doing well. He could play tomorrow if we wanted to push, but normally we would not push him. Gayle is doing much better than we were expecting. There is no timeframe – we will assess every day and see how he is doing. Obviously, it is still too early and we will have to wait, but he has already started treatment and is doing well.

“Anita has a problem with his ankle, so it could be around six weeks – more or less.”

Benitez will at least be able to call upon Jonjo Shelvey for tomorrow’s tie, whose five-game suspension has now come to an end.

As to whether anyone could soon be arriving at St. James’ Park, the Magpies’ boss again stressed that hard work is taking place to recruit – and spoke of his “confidence” at making a breakthrough before the end of the month.

“January is always difficult. You do not have too many good players available. When you try, (clubs) do not want to sell, or prices are so high it is impossible to go there. As I have said a lot of times, it is important to approach the right players for us, and try to sign these players,” he said.

“We are working very hard. I have confidence we will do well, and we will sign what we need. We have some options – a couple of them who can maybe be really good.

“My priority is to be sure the team is strong enough to compete from now until the end of the season, and I will try to do this until the last day of the transfer window, and after that I will try to coach the team as well as I can to continue winning. I will try now, until the end of the window, to do what I have to do.”