AYOZE PEREZ claims the international break has come at an ideal time for Newcastle United, and is confident the Magpies will return to action refreshed ahead of the final eight games of the season.

The Championship programme has shut down for two weeks because of the international schedule, with Newcastle not due to return to action until they host Wigan Athletic a week on Saturday.

Last weekend’s goalless draw with Birmingham ended a hectic spell that saw Rafael Benitez’s side tackle six games in the space of 22 days, three of which involved them travelling to one of the teams competing against them for an automatic promotion spot.

They have not won in their last three outings, but find themselves one point clear at the top of the table and seven points clear of the play-off places. That is a strong position with eight games to go, and Perez is looking forward to some much-needed down time before the final push begins.

“After these few months with no break and a lot of games, it’s going to be good for us to rest our legs, and our minds as well,” said the Spaniard, who returned to Newcastle’s starting line-up at St Andrew’s. “We need a small rest.

“It can be good to have the break now. We have to be ready for April because it’s going to be really busy.

“It’s going to be really busy right through to the last game now because it’s coming to the end. It’s the last month, and we have to make sure we push until the end and make sure we stay at the top.”

Newcastle were not at their fluent best as they claimed a point at the weekend, but as Huddersfield’s four-goal defeat at Bristol City the previous night proved, the Championship remains as unforgiving as ever.

With Brighton also losing at Leeds, Newcastle’s draw looked a decent result by the end of Saturday night, and having occupied an automatic promotion place since the start of October, Benitez’s side have reached a stage where it is points rather than performances that matter.

They will need to grind their way through April’s schedule, which will feature seven games in the space of a month, but have successfully proved their mettle in the opening seven months of the campaign.

Collectively, Newcastle have proved resilient and resolute, and individually, the club’s players have proved capable of handling the physical and mental challenges thrown up by life in the Championship.

Perez was one of the players whose ability to cope in the second tier was questioned at the start of the campaign, but while he has not always been at his best this season, the 23-year-old has shown an admirable level of application whenever he has appeared.

“You have to accept the challenge (of being in the Championship), deal with it and adapt to the league,” he said. “It’s really different – maybe it’s less football and more physical.

“But we have been doing well all season, and have adapted to the league quite well. There are still eight games to go though, and we have to make sure we go with everything and stay at the top.”

Benitez will hope the international break enables some of Newcastle’s injured players to complete their recoveries, although the club’s concerns increased yesterday when Grant Hanley and Daryl Murphy were both confirmed to be carrying knocks.

Hanley injured his ankle in Saturday’s draw at St Andrew’s, and has been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad for this week’s friendly with Canada and a World Cup qualifier with Slovenia.

The centre-half has emerged as a key figure in the Newcastle squad, with fellow defender Ciaran Clark facing a battle to play again this season after suffering a medial ligament injury.

Hanley’s injury would be a major headache if it prevented him from featuring against Wigan, but Benitez will be hoping a fortnight of recuperation and treatment enables him to be involved against the Latics.

Murphy reported a calf problem when he joined up with the Republic of Ireland squad over the weekend, and was being assessed by the Irish medical staff yesterday.

The striker played the opening 63 minutes of Saturday’s goalless draw, and is now firmly established as Newcastle’s second-choice striker ahead of Aleksandar Mitrovic.

“Daryl is giving himself a chance,” said Ireland boss Martin O’Neill, who is preparing for a World Cup qualifier with Wales and a friendly with Iceland. “He’s certainly not ruling himself out at this moment. We’ll see what develops with the scan.”