Rafael Benitez denies bust-up with Jonjo Shelvey, Jamaal Lascelles

Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has denied reports that he was involved in a bust-up with Jonjo Shelvey and club captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Both players were absent from the Magpies' matchday squad to face Chelsea at St James' Park this afternoon, prompting reports that they had fallen out with the manager.

However, Benitez insists that their absence was purely down to injury concerns, revealing that Lascelles is struggling with an ankle problem and Shelvey could face a couple of weeks on the sidelines.

"We were missing five players, any top team losing five players - [Javi] Manquillo, [Isaac] Hayden, Kenedy, even six with [Florian] Lejeune, and Jonjo and Jamaal. So we have six players out," Benitez told BBC Sport.

"A team that has its own problems, with six players out, we can be talking about a lot of things, but in this case we don't have any issue.

"We have some players injured like Manquillo, Lejeune, Jonjo that will take maybe a couple of weeks to be fit, and Jamaal with an ankle problem. That's what we have to manage, that's it."

Newcastle are still searching for their first win of the new season following today's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.