Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin has made it clear he won't accept being on the bench while the Magpies aren't winning.
The Frenchman carved out the only real chance of the Carabao Cup final last weekend against Man United but found himself dropped at the Etihad Stadium against Man City. It appeared that Saint-Maximin had bought into the idea of being an impact substitute in the last half an hour but his appearance on the bench led to an interesting observation from watching football manager Chris Wilder that prompted discussions during the match.
Wilder, summarising for BBC 5 Live, said: "I do wonder if Eddie Howe really fancies Allan Saint-Maximin because I'd imagine he'd be playing, as one of the more important players, in a game as big as this today."
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Saint-Maximin has suffered muscle injuries this season but as we hit the final straight he has started just seven matches in the Premier League. For a player that was once relied upon by Newcastle to retain divisional status and a star that hauled the Magpies to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 2020, it seems a bit-part role.
Given the way Saint-Maximin went about his business at the Etihad Stadium and tried to lead the fight-back, the fact he was benched doesn't seem an immediate concern. Howe is building a new team at Newcastle though and while Miguel Almiron's form has dipped significantly, he must accommodate £40million January signing Anthony Gordon with the Scouser desperate for a run in the team.
It leaves Saint-Maximin and Almiron fighting for one of the other wide roles. Howe has shown he can be ruthless in the last month or so by banishing Ryan Fraser to the reserves for a lack of commitment.
Managing Saint-Maximin is an art and one that can reap the rewards. Ironically, it was Saint-Maximin who smashed home a wonder volley to save a point against Newcastle's next opponents Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It was also the game that started Saint-Maximin's injury problems, but will Howe leave him out on Sunday? Speaking about his choices and the delicate situation around Saint-Maximin, Howe said after the 2-0 defeat at Man City: "I think all decisions are difficult in selection, with the quality of the squad we've got, they're tough calls. But I don't want to become fixated with playing one team. I think we're in a moment now where we have the strength in depth to change our starting line-up.
"Without predicting the future, I'd like the flexibility to rotate, keep players fresh, and also to use the bench. Today's plan was to use the bench and get fresh players on the pitch so we could execute the high-intensity game we felt we needed to be competitive in the match."
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