Former Newcastle United midfielder Nobby Solano believes the Magpies will achieve automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship this season, reports the Chronicle Live.

Rafa Benitez’s side are currently top of the Championship table, holding a point lead over Brighton and Hove Albion but more significantly are seven-points clear of Huddersfield Town who sit third.

With eight fixtures of the season remaining, Solano, who represented Newcastle over 200 times, believes his former club will secure a place in the top-two, he said: “I still think Newcastle will get up automatically and won’t need the play-offs. The Championship can be a tricky league but the standard is average compared to Premier League games.

“For the players now it will be about the results of the next eight games, not where they will be next year.”

Newcastle begin the Championship run-in with two home fixtures in the coming week, welcoming struggling Wigan Athletic and Burton Albion to St James’ Park.

Benitez’s side are without a win in their last three, drawing twice and losing once, and the former Real Madrid boss will be hopeful of a return to winning ways this week.

Newcastle fans… Are you confident your club will pick up three-points at the weekend? Let us know in the comments!