Banished by Benitez, ex-Newcastle mainstay will inevitably depart in January
COMMENT by Russell Edge
Despite having been a key player for Newcastle United in recent times, the January transfer window must be the end of Jack Colback’s Newcastle career.
It has been an almighty fall from grace for the former Sunderland midfielder, having seen himself banished from the first team squad at St James’ Park, despite having been a mainstay with 34 appearances last season.
Colback has not appeared in any match day squad for the club this season, with Rafael Benitez even choosing to field fellow outcast Henri Saivet in the EFL Cup earlier in the campaign.
However, it gets worse for the 27-year-old, as he was excluded from the reserve side for their EFL Trophy clash against Port Vale, despite being perfectly eligible.
Benitez has several options at his disposal for a role in the centre of the park, and it appears that Colback as not done enough to prove he is worthy of usurping any of them.
That is despite him being one of the longest serving players at the club, with only Paul Dummett, Rob Elliot and Massadio Haidara having been on Tyneside longer.
To date he has 102 appearances to his name since arriving at St James’ Park back in 2014, scoring five goals and notching up 10 assists.
However, as Benitez has shown, loyalty to the club means little to the Spanish manager, having ruthlessly offloaded long serving players such as Tim Krul, Sammy Ameobi and Vurnon Anita during his time at the helm.
Colback must be next, as he is currently little more than a drain on financial resources at the club, and with his contract set to expire in the summer of 2019, the Magpies have a wait before seeing him depart on a free transfer.
The Chronicle reported that Colback himself turned down offers from Championship sides Wolves and Hull City over the summer to fight for his place on Tyneside, but with there appearing to be no resolution to his exile, it is inevitable January will see him depart.
In other Newcastle United news, a report has revealed that a controversial figure could be set to remain at the club.
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