Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez will lose Atsu and his other goalscorer at the DW Stadium Mo Diame next month due to the African Cup of Nations.
Diame scored a wonder goal but Rafa played it down.
Reflecting on Diame’s performance he said: “For me it’s not just about him scoring goals.
“He has been working very hard.
“He works for the team and that is the main thing.
“After if he keeps the ball well and scores goals, it’s even better for him.
“Any player who works hard with the quality we have, they can do well.”