Rafael Benitez says he has no news yet on his future at Newcastle
Friday 26 April 2019 14:44, UK
Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez says he is concentrating on the remaining games this season rather than his own future.
The Magpies are certain of Premier League football next season in the wake of Saturday's win over Southampton.
But Benitez intends to treat the last three games of the season very seriously nonetheless - starting with Saturday's trip to Brighton.
Asked if, with Newcastle's top-flight status secure, he could confirm whether he will be staying for the 2019/20 campaign, Benitez said: "You know my answer a lot of times has been we have to wait and see where we are.
"At the moment, I think we still have three important games to play.
"Some people will say, you are safe, so they are not important any more.
"They are important for us, they are important for a lot of people in the other teams.
"So I think for us the main thing is to concentrate on the games that we have - and if we have any news, you will know, from me, from the club.
"At the moment, we are concentrating on the games."
Asked if talks were in progress, now Newcastle were safe, Benitez added: "We have conversations sometimes, Lee Charnley (managing director) is coming with us to the games, so we can talk about serious things.
"If we have anything, we will let you know.
"We have to be sure that we have the same idea.
"I have my opinion like the majority of the people here, so we have to find a point at which we are close enough to do things right for both parts."
Newcastle forward Miguel Almiron will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury and skipper Jamaal Lascelles will sit out Saturday's game after being laid low by illness this week.
Benitez said: "We have also lost this week Lascelles, because he has had a stomach illness all week.
"It's nothing serious, but during the week he has not been training with the team."
