RAFAEL BENITEZ will be back in an away dug-out for the first time since undergoing surgery this weekend, and while his Newcastle United players might have managed without him at Swansea City, Mikel Merino claims his presence could hold the key to a continued climb up the table.

Newcastle head to fellow promotion winners Brighton on Sunday looking to extend the three-game unbeaten run that has taken them into the Champions League places.

Their last away game saw them win at the Liberty Stadium, even though Benitez was at his family home on the Wirral as he continued to recuperate from an operation to cure an infection that had followed previous hernia surgery.

In his absence, Paco de Miguel Moreno, Antonio Gomez Perez and Mikel Antia oversaw the Magpies’ first win on the road this season, but Benitez made a welcome return to the technical area for last weekend’s 2-1 win over Stoke.

He has taken charge of training without any problems this week, and while his backroom staff coped admirably in his absence, his return to full health has been a major fillip for the players working beneath him.

“It’s always important to have the boss with us,” said Merino, who has made an immediate impact since signing on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. “His presence is important for us, even though we know what to do.

“He is intelligent, and he knows how to communicate to us the things we have to do. It’s always important when you look at the bench and see him, because he gives you confidence and you know if you are doing anything wrong, he will tell you and you will improve. It’s always nice to have him on the bench near us.”

Benitez’s presence was one of the key factors that persuaded Merino to move to Newcastle on a deal that will become permanent next summer.

The Spaniard grew up watching the Magpies manager win a host of honours at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, and jumped at the chance to join up with him once it became clear his time at Borussia Dortmund was coming to an end.

A number of other clubs, including some big names in the Bundesliga, inquired about him, but he wanted to work under Benitez and has been delighted with his new manager’s input since transferring to Tyneside.

“I’m improving a lot tactically from training with him,” said Merino. “Physically, I still need to adapt to the league and how it works. It’s a different rhythm in this league and he knows it, so he is giving me advice all the time. Not only me, but all the rest of the team too.

“Tactically, he tells you what to do, what he wants. I think I am improving, and little by little with his help, I will reach 100 per cent. That’s what I want to do – to keep improving and be my best – and this coach can help me do that.”

Merino is far from the only summer signing to have made an immediate impression. Joselu has moved ahead of Dwight Gayle and the suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic in the attacking pecking order, while Javier Manquillo had settled in nicely at right-back before being moved aside for DeAndre Yedlin last weekend.

There is a youthful energy to the side Benitez has assembled this summer, not to mention a strong sense of togetherness that has been evident in their most recent displays.

“That is the mood we have between the players,” said Merino. “We have a good ambience in the dressing room. If we keep working as we are, then you feel the confidence of your team-mates and you have confidence in them.

“It doesn’t matter if your team-mate fails because you will be there to help him, and that is something that will help you improve. That is why we are playing so well as a young, new team.”