Rafa Benitez should make up for Isaac Hayden’s shortfalls with a January loan move for Danny Drinkwater, with the Chelsea midfielder outcasted by Maurizio Sarri.

What’s the word?

Hayden has continued to falter in the heart of Newcastle’s midfield as the Arsenal product returns to regular first-team action at St James’ Park.

The 23-year-old started both of the Magpies’ post-Christmas fixtures but struggled to make a worthwhile contribution to proceedings in either game.

Against Liverpool, the Reds were able to run riot as the holding midfielder regularly gave the ball away – Hayden finished the game with a 59% pass success rate – and only won possession back three times.

At Vicarage Road, Newcastle’s number 14 performed to a higher standard but failed to see out the match as Benitez hooked the midfielder after 79 minutes, in which he completed four tackles and 83% of his 41 attempted passes.

Drinkwater, meanwhile, has not featured since the Community Shield in August, as Sarri perseveres with a midfield consisting of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley offering cover.

Check out the video below for Emma Conybeare’s rundown of which clubs need what in the January transfer window…

Could it happen?

Well, with Sarri offering Drinkwater such little game time, Chelsea may be open to his departure more and more as each game passes.

The 28-year-old midfielder, who won the Premier League with Leicester, is contracted to the Blues until 2022 and earns £90,000 a week, which is a lot for someone who has not kicked a ball since the season kicked off.

However, as Benitez has admitted the budget for January may be restricted, the loan move would have to be on the provision that Chelsea continues to shell out some, or all, of the midfielder’s wages.

This could be negotiated, though, as regular game time can help promote his skills before a permanent departure from Stamford Bridge is made in the summer.

Meanwhile, Benitez would secure the services of a high-quality deep-lying playmaker who is adept at everything Hayden lacks, forming an unyielding partnership with the likes of Jonjo Shelvey or Mohamed Diame until Ki Sung-Yeung returns from the Asian Cup.