Newcastle United had been dealt a significant blow heading into the world damage, with talismanic ahead Miguel Almiron having sustained a thigh harm in coaching forward of the new win over Nottingham Forest.
As Magpies boss Eddie Howe therefore published, the harm to the Paraguay world is assumed to be a “bad one“, with the 29-year-old – who recently signed a brand new long-term extension on the membership – prone to be absent for as much as six weeks.
That news will most probably have the St James’ Park trustworthy fearing for the worst in regards to their top-four hopes, with Almiron having so far been an integral a part of the northeast aspect’s push for Champions League qualification, scoring 11 Premier League objectives this season.
The former Atlanta United guy has loved an “amazing transformation” because the get started of the marketing campaign, within the phrases of membership legend Alan Shearer, having up to now scored simply nine league objectives around the remaining three-and-a-half seasons blended.
To then be with out this type of a very powerful asset for a longer time frame will undoubtedly go away Howe with a diffusion headache, in particular with January arrival Anthony Gordon having additionally been sidelined of past due, whilst fellow winger Ryan Fraser has been banished from the first-team squad.
Rather than considering re-instating the latter guy, the previous Bournemouth boss will have to apparently glance to the academy ranks as a way to discover a appropriate, harm answer, with 17-year-old Johnny Emerson one promising ahead who might be deserving of an opportunity to polish.
Who is Johnny Emerson?
Although the teenager sensation is but to revel in a style of lifestyles within the senior set-up, the Carlisle-born ace has been in scintillating shape within the academy ranks of past due, having proven his flexibility to function on both flank this season.
The Scotland adolescence world – who joined the Magpies from Queen of the South again in 2019 – has been an actual weapon in his extensive berth of past due, having scored eight objectives in simply 13 Premier League appearances for the membership’s U18 aspect.
Not only a medical presence in entrance of purpose, the thrilling ability has additionally registered one help in that point as a marker of his ingenious aptitude, with it unsurprising to look simply why there may be such “positivity around him” at the present, as consistent with the Chronicle’s Mark Carruthers.
While it will be a large bounce for Emerson to transport from the academy to the first-team – having most effective featured a handful of instances for the membership’s U21 aspect – it does seem that Newcastle have an actual gem on their palms, with the £180-per-week teenager particularly scoring a hat-trick in opposition to Leeds United again in January.
With Howe and co not able to dip into the marketplace to discover a alternative for Almiron, there will have to be a possibility for the likes of Emerson to likelihood their arm over the approaching weeks, with there a chance for a long run megastar to emerge.
Not that the younger winger would essentially must be thrust immediately right into a beginning berth, even supposing he may smartly supply sturdy pageant for the likes of Jacob Murphy and Allan Saint-Maximin at the flanks.
With Elliot Anderson starting to make his mark in Howe’s aspect – having come off the bench at half-time in opposition to Forest – it will have to no longer be too lengthy ahead of every other academy gem forces their method into the image.