RAFAEL BENITEZ admits Kenedy is not quite playing to the peak of his form at the moment, but claims it would be unfair to judge the Brazilian too harshly as he adapts to a more defensive role in the Newcastle United team.

Kenedy’s return to Tyneside on a second season-long loan deal was regarded as a major coup when it was confirmed in the summer, but whereas the 22-year-old caught the eye repeatedly in the second half of last season, his performances in the current campaign have been rather more mixed.

August’s missed penalty at Cardiff City ensured a shaky start, and while there have been fleeting glimpses of Kenedy’s technical prowess since – most notably in the first half of Newcastle’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester United – his impact has not been as positive or sustained as might have been expected.

He struggled in the first half of Saturday’s 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town, and while he stuck to his task with admirable resolve after the interval, his game continues to lack the verve and rhythm that was apparent last term.

There are mitigating factors for his form though, with Benitez having fielded him as a wing-back at the John Smith’s Stadium despite his more natural position being further upfield. Kenedy has played at wing-back on a handful of occasions with Chelsea, but his manager at Newcastle accepts he is still having to learn the role.

“I don’t think Kenedy is low on confidence, although I think he knows that he is not playing at the level he can play,” said Benitez. “But don’t forget that he is an offensive player who we are playing as a wing-back in a defensive formation, when sometimes he was defending two against one.

“So we have to think that he has to adjust, he has to learn, and these kind of games will be a good experience.”

The sight of Kenedy playing in a defensive position underlines the lack of left-back options within the current Newcastle squad.

Paul Dummett has established himself as the first-choice selection – especially when Benitez opts to play with a flat back four – but the Welshman’s recent injury problems have exposed a lack of alternatives to play on the left of the defence.

Javier Manquillo is more comfortable at right-back, Ciaran Clark is more of a centre-half than either a full-back or a wing-back, and while Matt Ritchie performed creditably in a wing-back role in the away win at Burnley, he is not a natural defender.

The same could be said of Kenedy, but the South American’s athleticism helps him hide any defensive shortcomings, and while there were times during Saturday’s game when he appeared uncertain of exactly where to position himself, he contributed to Newcastle’s clean sheet despite Huddersfield’s attempts to target his side of the field.

“It was not easy for him, because tactically it was a strange game,” said Benitez, who will be pushing to sign an experienced left-back when the transfer window reopens at the start of next month. “Not too many people have seen that, but Huddersfield started with five and, as soon as they saw we were playing with five at the back, they changed to four.

“Then it means that they have a winger close to him, and he was wing-back for us. So he has a winger close to him, and a full-back going all the time, because normally Kenedy would go forward.

“He had to deal with the distance and maybe two players coming at him. (Christian) Atsu was helping a lot but, still, tactically for a player who is normally an offensive player to adjust his position in defence, it was not easy.

“That’s the main thing, that it was not easy for him to find the right distance between the full-back and winger, and defend them properly.”