Some Tough Decisions Facing Rafa Ahead of Villa Clash

Rafa Benitez is no stranger to making big decisions, in fact, throughout his career it has been something that he has seemed to thrive on.

Benitez, being one of the top managers in the world, is used to making these decisions, and he is used to getting them right.

However, with the race for promotion beginning to come to the end, he needs to ensure that his team do not slip up in games like tomorrow night.

Villa come to St. James' in very poor form, and despite being a huge club, there does seem to be a very real threat that they may be dragged into the relegation battle.

Simply put, this is a must win for both teams, but it is a game that we cannot afford to slip-up in.

With this in mind, just what are the biggest decisions that Rafa will have to make tomorrow?

The first, and arguably most important, is regarding his striking options. Aleksandar Mitrovic has missed a lot of chances of late, and with top scorer Dwight Gayle now seemingly fit, Mitrovic may well miss out.

Secondly, Rafa must decide whether to stick with Ayoze Perez or recall Mo Diame.

Diame is undoubtedly one of Newcastle's best players, but then again, Ayoze is technically gifted and has an eye for goal, and after playing so well in the last game, Ayoze may well get the nod to start tomorrow.