Rafael Benitez: 'I was taking notes from my sickbed'

Rafael Benitez has joked that he had to 'shout from his sofa' while watching his Newcastle United side in action against Swansea City last weekend.

The Spaniard was forced to watch the match at the Liberty Stadium from around 350 miles away as he continued to recover from a hernia operation.

Benitez says that he was happy to see his side get the job done in South Wales, though, thanks to skipper Jamaal Lascelles's only goal of the game 76 minutes in to secure a 1-0 win.

Ahead of his return to the dugout against Stoke City on Saturday afternoon, Benitez told reporters: "We won so everything is fine and I'm here talking, so it is good. I was trying to come back but I was not feeling well.

"I was in contact with my staff and they told me everything is in place. I was on the sofa taking notes and shouting. I was confident because the staff were telling me everything was going according to plan.

"Jamaal was saying we have set the standard. Every player has to work hard and we can win against anyone if we do what we have done. I think it's important to stay calm when things are right or when they are not. It is three points and another opportunity to do well. We have to be sure we don't have overconfidence."

Newcastle are seeking three Premier League wins in a row this weekend for the first time since November 2014.