RAFAEL BENITEZ has not made it to Swansea City for Newcastle United's Premier League away game at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon.
Benitez had hoped to travel to South Wales by helicopter, but the Magpies manager is too unwell after undergoing an operation to address an infection following earlier hernia surgery.
Benitez has remained at his family home on the Wirrall, so Newcastle will be led by fitness coach Francisco de Miguel Moreno, generally known as Paco, as they look to build on their 3-0 win over West Ham prior to the international break.
The Magpies have made two changes to the team that started against the Hammers, with Jesus Gamez replacing the injured Chancel Mbemba at left-back and Jacob Murphy getting the nod in midfield ahead of Christian Atsu.
That means there is no place in the starting line-up for Jonjo Shelvey, with the former Swans midfielder finding himself on the bench as he returns from a three-match suspension.
DeAndre Yedlin and Florian Lejeune are also named among the substitutes after completing their respective returns from injury.
Swansea hand a debut to Renato Sanches, who signed on loan from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day, but their other deadline-day signing, Wilfried Bony, is only on the bench.
SWANSEA (4-4-2): Fabianski; Naughton, Fernandez, Mawson, Olsson; Clucas, Sanches, Carroll, Fer; Ayew, Abraham.
Subs: Nordfeldt (gk), van der Hoorn, Narsinghe, Rangel, Mesa, Routledge, Bony.
NEWCASTLE (4-2-3-1): Elliot; Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Gamez; Hayden, Merino; Ritchie, Perez, Murphy; Joselu.
Subs: Woodman (gk), Lejeune, Yedlin, Diame, Shelvey, Atsu, Gayle.
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