Ryan Fraser’s season could be over due to injury.
The Newcastle United winger hasn’t featured since the 1-0 win over Wolves, where he limped off after 13 minutes.
Ahead of the trip to Norwich, Eddie Howe has provided an update on the 28-year-old’s fitness.
“He’s had his second scan and there’s relatively good news in that there’s no massive problem for him,” Howe said.
“But he’s in race against time to get fit before the end of the season.”
Ryan Fraser injury blow opens door for Miguel Almiron
While it’s good to see he doesn’t have a major problem, it will be disappointing for Fraser that his season could be over.
After a tough first year on Tyneside, the Scotland international has really bounced back this campaign following the appointment of Howe. He’d become a key player for the Magpies, and his injury felt like a real blow at the time.
However, when one door closes, another opens. Enter Miguel Almiron.
The Paraguayan replaced Fraser against Wolves, which came as a surprise given how often Jacob Murphy has played ahead of Miggy.
But Howe went with the £21million man, and it’s proven to be a wonderful decision. Almiron has played brilliantly in the past three games, and capped it off with a stunning goal against Crystal Palace.
It was his first in over a year, and a sign that perhaps he does have a future at St James’ Park.
Alan Shearer wants more from Miggy
After the game, Alan Shearer praised the 28-year-old, but admitted he hasn’t been ‘good enough’ in the final third.
“As I said, that’s been missing from his game, in terms of crossing and finishing, the number of goals is nowhere near good enough,” Shearer said on Match of the Day.
“But, his attitude has been absolutely superb in the Newcastle shirt.
“He’s got from now and the end of the seasons to show he deserves a place with what is going on next season.”
Miguel Almiron now has real chance to earn his Newcastle future now
With Fraser set for a prolonged spell on the sidelines, Almiron has the opportunity he needs. He’s got limited competition now, meaning he’s very likely to remain in the starting XI for the rest of the season.
There’s going to be a lot of changes at St James’ Park this summer. It feels likely that a fair few players will leave the club.
Before the Wolves game, Almiron would have been deemed one of the most likely to depart. However, that no longer feels like the case.
Over the past few games, he’s proven he can thrive in Howe’s side. He’s also struck up a great partnership with Bruno Guimaraes.
Performances have been good, and he got the goal he needed against Palace. A couple more goal contributions between now and the end of the season and perhaps Almiron will be staying after all.
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