Newcastle United remain firmly on course for promotion back to the Premier League, and despite Brighton leading the way, Rafa Benitez knows the objective is simply promotion. 

The squad the Spaniard has at his disposal at St James is far and away the most talented in the Championship, and anything other than promotion would be surely deemed a failure.

Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie, and Jonjo Shelvey have all been excellent this season and have done the Toon Army proud over the course of the campaign.

However, within the squad, there are those players who simply have not done what they should have, and are very much up for being axed this summer by Benitez.

With this in mind, FLW writer Lee Connor has taken a look at TWO Newcastle players Rafa Benitez should be getting rid of this summer...

Sammy Ameobi

Young winger Ameobi has returned to the Toon after a successful loan spell, but there remains a big question over whether he can cut it in the Premier League.

Ameobi seems to have been showing promise for a few seasons now, but Benitez could well call time on the wingers Newcastle career this summer. If this is the case, then plenty of Championship clubs will no doubt be keen to snap him up.

Aleksandar Mitrovic

The big striker has drifted away from the first team at times this season, and it looks like a case of Benitez simply not thinking he is worth the trouble.

There is little doubting that Mitrovic has plenty of ability, but his fiery temperament has landed him in hot water on more than one occasion, and a move back to Europe could well be on the horizon for the striker this summer.