News that Daryl Murphy could miss the Wigan game due to a calf injury will not have been welcomed by Benitez.
Murphy returned to Tyneside from international duty on Tuesday amid fears among the Republic of Ireland management that the striker had suffered a recurrence of a similar calf complaint he first aggravated back in October.
However, Grant Hanley and Rob Elliot - both of whom were forced to withdraw from their respective international squads with knee injuries - were pictured training with Newcastle yesterday.