Benitez insists Kenedy’s nightmare will be ‘good experience’

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez has backed midfielder Kenedy to learn from a miserable trip to south Wales last weekend.

The 22-year-old Brazilian was fortunate not to be sent off during the Magpies’ 0-0 Premier League draw at Cardiff last Saturday and then, after turning in a poor individual display, missed an injury-time penalty which would have won the game for his side.

Benitez said: “In terms of his quality, he’s very confident, so we were talking about that and the decisions he was making in the game, and it’s something that’s important for a young player to understand, to learn and then to move forward.

“He’s fine now, he’s been training well. It’s been a bad experience, but a good experience in the end.”

Benitez also revealed that his full-back concerns had eased for Sunday’s clash with Chelsea at St James’ Park with DeAndre Yedlin having recovered from the knee problem which kept him out of the Cardiff game, while Javier Manquillo’s calf injury is not as serious as was first feared.