Newcastle Defender DeAndre Yedlin Gunning to Return to Starting XI After Recent Suspension

Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin is aiming to regain his starting spot, after he was replaced following suspension. The right-back was sent off in the Magpies’

Newcastle defender DeAndre Yedlin is aiming to regain his starting spot, after he was replaced following suspension.

The right-back was sent off in the Magpies’ 2-1 defeat to Wolves earlier this month, and hasn’t started a game since. He is determined to regain his status in Rafael Benitez’s side, having been a regular all season.

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Yedlin addressed his dismissal, saying (quoted by the Newcastle United Blog): “I just mis-stepped against Wolves and Jota got in front of me. My first instinct was to try to get back in front of him.

“I guess I got his shirt, and the ref saw it as an offence. He gave me a red card. You never want to miss a game, especially after a red card. It’s part of the game.”

Yedlin has made 16 appearances this season, and up until the game against Wolves he had only missed one of Newcastle’s Premier League games. However he could only muster a six-minute cameo upon his return in the 0-0 draw with Fulham last Saturday.

With the American suspended, the Magpies earned their first win in four games as they beat Huddersfield Town 1-0. The win saw them rise up to 14th, although last week’s goalless draw meant they dropped back down to 15th.

Yedlin admitted that it was never going to be simple to come back into the team, adding: “I can’t expect to walk straight back into the team. Credit to the lads, they won at Huddersfield, and I would never expect to change a winning team.”

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He added: “If the team is on a roll, no matter who’s on the pitch, you keep that same team out there. It’s always great to have competition. It’s a healthy competition. It just pushes everybody to get better.”

Yedlin has been at Newcastle since 2016, after joining for £5m from Tottenham. He has since made 82 appearances for the Magpies, and has been a fan favourite at St James’ Park.