Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United squad is severely depleted right now, with the Magpies suffering injuries all over the pitch.
Newcastle are currently without some key players, while the depth on the bench is almost non-existent. That was evident in the Champions League on Tuesday night, when academy lads Ben Parkinson and Lucas De Bolle made the trip to Germany.
Howe needs some of his injured players to return, while he could also have the option of recalling one of his loan players.
The leading candidate appears to be Yankuba Minteh, who was immediately loaned out to Feyenoord after his £6million move to Newcastle this summer.
The 19-year-old has done brilliantly for Feyenoord so far, scoring three goals and providing one assist in 12 appearances for the Dutch club. He has even made his Champions League debut.
Minteh has received a lot of praise for his performances out on loan, but it is a loan that could potentially come to a premature end.
That is because Newcastle have the option to recall Minteh in January, and Eddie Howe has admitted that is something the club are considering.
Eddie Howe is really pleased with Yankuba Minteh as they ponder Newcastle return
Ahead of Newcastle’s game against Bournemouth, Howe spoke to the media. He addressed Minteh’s performances on loan, and admitted that they are looking into the possibility of bringing him back to Tyneside for the second half of the season.
“We’ll look at our players that are out on loan, with a view to whether they could potentially strengthen us,” he told the Northern Echo.
“If it’s good for their career as well, then we’ll certainly look at what we can do.
“He’s (Minteh) done very well, although unfortunately he’s injured at the moment. He’s come back for an assessment on that injury because we need to check and see how he is.
“We need to work out how serious the injury is and when he’ll be back, and then we’ll make a decision on him, like we would with all our loan players.
“I think his loan spell has been a productive one. He’s scored goals and been part of a successful team. He’s certainly got talent, although the Premier League is a very different league to any other league in Europe.
“That doesn’t mean that players can’t come in or out of the Premier League. He’s someone we like, and he’s certainly got the athletic profile that we need.”
Newcastle fans would love to see Minteh return from Feyenoord
Given how well he has done for Feyenoord, Toon fans would love to see Minteh return to St James’ Park earlier than anticipated. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Gambian, who looks like a player who could really dazzle supporters.
But now Newcastle must decide if they want him to dazzle them as early as this season.
It will depend on the Magpies’ injury situation. Howe currently only has two fully fit wingers, one of which is Anthony Gordon, who keeps being asked to play as a striker.
After him and Miguel Almiron, Howe’s other options are to start the ageing Matt Ritchie or play Joelinton out wide.
That is because Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes are out injured. The former is out long term with a shoulder problem, while the latter is back running on the grass and could return by December.
If there is an opportunity for him to play and be involved, it could be a wise decision to bring Minteh back. He can play on either flank, and the fact he is so unknown could make him a danger to opposition defenders.
But, in truth, the wise thing would be to keep him at Feyenoord and let him continue his development there. He is doing well in the Netherlands, and his time on Tyneside will eventually come. It would be a surprise to see him make his Newcastle debut this season.
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