Rodrigo Vilca spotted in Newcastle training as injured player returns

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Newcastle United have released their official training pictures ahead of the game against Nottingham Forest, and Rodrigo Vilca is a shock inclusion.

There are multiple players from Newcastle‘s Under-21s side, one of which is Vilca. He is the forgotten man on Tyneside, having signed for the club in 2020 when Steve Bruce was manager.

There was a buzz when the Peruvian arrived for £225,000, but the move has not gone to plan. Vilca has never made a senior appearance for the club, and his most recent loan move saw him temporarily return to his homeland of Peru.

But he is back in the North East now and playing for the Under-21s, despite recently turning 24. He scored in a 5-2 defeat to West Brom, netting just his second ever goal for the Magpies’ youth side.

Now he has been spotted in first-team training. He can be seen in the background of picture number 25 on the club’s website alongside the captain Jamaal Lascelles.

It is a real shock to see Vilca with the first-team, but he is clearly just there to make the numbers up. There is no chance of him featuring on Friday night against Nottingham Forest, as he is not part of Eddie Howe’s 25-man Premier League squad.

Rodrigo Vilca joined in Newcastle training by Harrison Ashby

Also in first-team training ahead of Forest is Harrison Ashby. The defender can be seen in picture number 47 of 48 on the club’s official website.

He is pictured alongside fellow youngster Elliot Anderson and assistant boss Jason Tindall, who appears to have calmed down after the Wolves game.

The right-back is yet to make his Toon debut after joining the club from West Ham in January for £3million. He was brought in to provide backup for Kieran Trippier, but the 21-year-old still hasn’t even appeared on the bench.

Howe recently stated that Ashby was out with a hamstring injury, but he has now been spotted as the players prepare for Friday night’s game.

It is good to see Ashby fit again, but he is very much a player for the future. Javi Manquillo appears to be ahead of him in the pecking order right now, having sat on the bench for pretty much every game this season.