Rafa's Praise For Table-Topping Team

United face the Tractor Boys (3pm kick off) looking to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches, following Tuesday night's 2-0 win at Barnsley.

And, when questioned about his team's defensive resilience, Benitez said that credit must go to the team as a whole, who went top of the Sky Bet Championship table in midweek having kicked into gear over the past month.

"I think that for me, it's not good to praise just the defenders, or the two centre backs. I think that the team is defending well. You start defending with Dwight Gayle, and you start attacking with Darlow or Sels," explained the Magpies manager.

"I think it's important for us to understand that the team has to work as a team in attack and defence, and if we don't concede it's not because the keeper or the two centre backs - it's because the team has been working hard.

"If we score goals and Dwight is at the top of the (goalscoring) table, it's because the team has created chances and he has taken the chances."

On the division's leading goalscorer Gayle, Benitez added: "If you don't concede, everybody has more confidence, but if you have someone at the other end who can score anytime, or any chance you put there he can score, then the team play with more confidence, for sure."

The fine form of former Crystal Palace frontman Gayle has restricted fellow forward Aleksandar Mitrovic to the bench in recent weeks.

And Benitez says that the Serbian international must continue to work hard and "wait for his chance" to prove his worth.

"Yesterday we training hard, and after we had an extra finishing session with him, Ayoze Perez and some other players," he said.

"Today he was training well again, so he's a good professional. He wants to be fit, to train harder, to play, but he knows that Dwight Gayle is scoring goals.

"He has to just keep working, and wait for his chance."

Mick McCarthy's Ipswich head to Tyneside with just four wins under their belt from their 13 league games this season.

They have, however, conceded two fewer goals than Newcastle, and Benitez says he won't be underestimating McCarthy's men.

"If you see the stats, it's a team that is not scoring too many goals, though they have scored some goals in their last games," he said.

"But they are not conceding too many goals, so it will be tough, it will be difficult. Physically, they are strong, and they work hard.

"I think it will be tough, because they are a Championship team who know what they have to do, how to stop the other teams and they know how to play on the counter-attack.

"(Mick McCarthy) has experience - he is a good manager, and he has a team that know what to do in the Championship."