Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez shakes up training and days off for players
Friday 18 March 2016 12:59, UK
Rafa Benitez has stepped up training and changed the schedule of players' days off as he bids to save Newcastle from relegation.
Benitez, who has introduced some double training sessions for his squad, put his side through their paces in front of the Sky Sports News HQ cameras on Friday morning as they prepared for Sunday's crucial Tyne-Wear derby, live on Sky Sports.
Newcastle are 19th in the Premier League table, one point behind 17th-placed Sunderland, but put in a much-improved performance in Benitez' first game in charge - a 1-0 defeat at leaders Leicester.
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The players had previously been given days off in the build-up to games but Benitez has instead had the team putting in the hours at their Darsley Park training complex.
Prior to the Leicester game, Benitez cancelled a players' day off hours after being installed as Steve McClaren's successor instead calling them in for training.
The Newcastle squad then trained on Saturday and Sunday ahead on last Monday's match at the King Power stadium.
