Sandro Tonali’s absence was hardly noticeable during Newcastle United’s win over Benfica, such was the level of the performance that Lewis Miley put in.
Tonali sat on the bench due to illness as Newcastle United beat Benfica 3-0 to seal another three points in the Champions League.
The Italian is one of Newcastle’s most important players and the fact he missed training on Monday was a big concern.
Still, Miley stepped in and impressed. The Newcastle United academy graduate was excellent in a midfield that also contained Jacob Ramsey and Bruno Guimaraes.
Miley endured a difficult start to the season and was criticised for his performances online, particularly after Newcastle’s draw away at Bournemouth in September.
Still, the teenager provided an assist against Brighton on Saturday and was excellent against the Lisbon giants. After the game, Eddie Howe was full of praise.
Eddie Howe praises Lewis Miley after Newcastle United vs Benfica
The Newcastle United manager was asked about the 19-year-old during his post-match press conference.
Howe wants to build future Newcastle teams around Miley and once again praised the player for his technical skill.
Howe believes Miley is so good that he has the ability to play anywhere across the midfield.
“He did really well,” he said.
“For me, he has all the attributes to be whatever he wants to be, in various roles. His technical quality is a massive gain for the club.”
Lewis Miley’s performance for Newcastle United vs Benfica in numbers
Newcastle will not let Miley leave on loan in January, given his importance to the cause.
The midfielder was impressive again on Tuesday night. Per FotMob data, he had 51 touches and found the mark with 90% of his passes.
| Newcastle United vs Benfica statistics | Lewis Miley |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Touches | 51 |
| Accurate passes | 37/41 (90%) |
| Chances created | 1 |
| Tackles | 2 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
Miley was excellent in the deeper midfield role, which allowed Bruno Guimaraes to roam forward.
The Toon youngster made two tackles, five ball recoveries and made two interceptions.
Tonali will almost certainly return to the fold when he has fully recovered but Miley offers genuine cover and competition.
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