RAFAEL BENITEZ is weighing up whether to throw Seydou Doumbia a lifeline at Newcastle United in the hope it gives the club’s fight for survival a lift before it is too late.

The Magpies have lost eight of their last ten matches, winning just once, to leave them staring at a six-point gap to safety.

Fourth from bottom Norwich City face Sunderland, sitting just below them, on Saturday so Benitez and everyone else on Tyneside does not need reminding about the importance of the visit of Swansea City on Saturday.

The Newcastle boss is ready to make changes to his team that surrendered cheaply at Southampton last weekend, when there was a heated dressing room inquest when a lot of home truths were exchanged between players.

Benitez needs to see a reaction against Swansea and again when they play their game in hand against Manchester City on Tuesday. The outcomes of both – coupled with the result at Carrow Road this weekend – could go a long way in determining Newcastle’s fate.

And the former Real Madrid boss is considering a range of ways to change his starting line-up against Swansea and Doumbia has put himself back into contention after building up his fitness.

It would be a surprise to see the Ivorian start given how he has only played a total of 29 minutes since his arrival in January; totalled from three substitute appearances against Chelsea, Stoke and Leicester.

In all of those he looked short of match fitness, but Benitez has been encouraged by his work-rate on the training ground building up to the visit of the Swans and, given his desperation for a lift, he is willing to consider him again – even if his presence should also act as a boost to Aleksandar Mitrovic and Papiss Cisse.

“Emmanuel Riviere and Doumbia are working hard in training so the competition between the strikers will be good for us,” said Benitez.

“It’s a problem for me because I must decide. We have more players now. When Papiss was injured we couldn’t choose him but he is now another option. Competition between players is good for the team.”

Cisse, who only recently returned from injury, has not scored since November, while Mitrovic has struggled even though he had scored three in his previous two appearances before drawing a blank at Southampton.

Scoring has not actually been as big a problem as conceding for Newcastle. They have only failed to score in three of their last 12 games, while they have found the net in three of the four under Benitez’s management.

Doumbia had scored goals for fun during his time with Young Boys and CSKA Moscow but he struggled to impress at Roma, who agreed to let him head for Newcastle on loan on February 1.

Keeping a clean sheet has been the biggest problem. He has tried a variety of things to try to shore up a team which has certainly not been helped by a succession of injuries.

Benitez has been told captain Fabricio Coloccini is unlikely to be available after calf trouble to face the Swans, which is a further blow given out-of-sorts Steven Taylor is struggling with a muscular problem and Daryl Janmaat is a doubt with a groin strain.

It has also been claimed in Holland that Janmaat has had to undergo surgery on the two fingers he fractured punching a wall when he left the field against Southampton.

Jamaal Lascelles is likely to step into replace Taylor alongside Chancel Mbemba like he did at St Mary’s, while question marks remain over who will play in the full-back roles. Jack Colback, Vurnon Anita and Paul Dummett are the likeliest.

Newcastle will be up against a Swansea team boasting a good record against them. Since being promoted in 2011, the Welsh club will have enjoyed more Premier League success against them than any other club if they win again.

They have already collected 20 points from the nine matches against Newcastle, with Swansea losing just once; they have won on their last three visits to St James’ Park.