Newcastle United fans on Twitter have been calling for Isaac Hayden to return to Steve Bruce’s starting XI after it was confirmed that he is back fully fit ahead of the Magpies’ game against Chelsea.
The industrious midfielder last appeared in the Magpies 2-1 win over Everton, but he hasn’t started a match since the Tyneside outfit’s 4-1 loss to Manchester United.
Hayden has been one of Bruce’s favoured options in the middle of the park this season, starting five of the club’s eight league games so far, and with his fitness worries behind him, Newcastle fans want to see him straight back in the XI.
Of course, this means that Bruce will have to drop one of the players that have come in for Hayden in recent weeks, and the feeling in one section of the fanbase is that Jeff Hendrick should be the one to miss out.
A midfield pivot of Hayden and Sean Longstaff does sound quite appealing and if United are to continue to pick up results, that may be the partnership Bruce wants to utilise going forward.
Newcastle have some winnable games ahead with matches against Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Leeds beckoning, so the midfield battle will be vital in the comings weeks.
Whether or not the manager opts to make this change remains to be seen, but fans have certainly voiced that they want to see Hayden back in the XI.
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