Newcastle face relegation rivals Huddersfield on Saturday
Friday 22 February 2019 15:23, UK
Miguel Almiron is ready to make his first Newcastle start and is settling well among the Spanish-speaking contingent at the club, says manager Rafa Benitez.
Newcastle bought Almiron for £21m from MLS side Atlanta United in January, breaking their 14-year old transfer record set when they signed Michael Owen from Real Madrid for £16.5m.
The Paraguyan midfielder has featured once off the bench for Newcastle in the Premier League and got a further 45 minutes under his belt in last weekend's friendly against CSKA Moscow in Spain.
Asked if he is ready to play from the start against Huddersfield on Saturday, Benitez said: "I think so.
"It's another important decision to make because all of them in this position we have enough players and all of them are playing well.
"I said before, for any player it is not easy to go to another league with different team-mates and environment, it is totally different.
"So he needs some time, but he has one advantage: he can talk with us in Spanish and we have a lot of people that talk Spanish with him, so when we explain the tactics he can understand.
"He is trying to do the things we are telling him. When we were following him, we knew we were trying to sign a good lad, a good professional and a hard worker.
"He has these characteristics and abilities, but he is especially good at listening and trying to do what we think the team needs. I think he is doing well."