Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez revealed that Yoshinori Muto missed Saturday’s win over Bournemouth as he was granted leave to return to Japan. Muto’s wife recently gave birth, so the striker has gone to see his family. He’s also struggling with a calf injury and is expected to have treatment in the Far East to ensure he returns in perfect condition.
As per Chronicle Live, Benitez said: “He has gone to Japan, so he is now in Japan because his wife had a baby and he wanted to stay around. He is under treatment there and he is getting better, but still he will need some time”. Since joining Newcastle from FSV Mainz over the summer, Muto has made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, scoring just one goal.
The 26-year-old, who has made 25 appearances for the Japanese national team, was withdrawn after 45 minutes against Watford on November 3 and will surely be hopeful of returning from injury after the international break. In Muto’s absence, Newcastle sealed consecutive league wins to boost their hopes of survival.
Benitez’s side are currently 14th in the Premier League with nine points from 12 games this season, coming off the back of two wins and a draw from their previous three. Newcastle are four places clear of the relegation zone, but there is only one point in it. A bad result after the international break could se the North East side fall back into the bottom-three.
Stats from Transfermarkt.
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