£10m Newcastle United player is in trouble if he fails to seize his opportunity vs Bradford

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Eddie Howe will rotate again on Wednesday night, as Newcastle United face Bradford City in the Carabao Cup.

The Magpies begin their defence of the Carabao Cup against the League One side, as Eddie Howe gets set to juggle his Newcastle United squad and cope with the demands of multiple competitions.

That is good news for one Toon player in particular, with Will Osula poised to return to the Magpies’ starting XI.

He has started one game so far this season. That was in the Premier League away to Leeds United. Osula struggled against Leeds, failing to capitalise on the goal he had scored a few days earlier against Liverpool.

The 22-year-old has been limited to substitute appearances since then, but should be involved from the off on Wednesday night.

• Who is William Osula? Get to know the rapid Newcastle United striker who is quickly becoming a cult hero

Will Osula is under severe pressure to perform for Newcastle United against Bradford City

Assuming he starts, Osula will be under huge pressure to deliver against Bradford City.

The cup tie comes at a time when Newcastle’s striker options remain limited. Yoane Wissa is injured, while Nick Woltemade is still building up his fitness.

Anthony Gordon is available to feature, but has proven this season once and for all that he is more suited to playing out wide.

As for Osula, he must prove that he is suited to regularly playing senior football in the black and white of Newcastle. If he fails to do that against Bradford, it might be a while before he starts again.

Wissa will be back after the international break, which means it will soon be even more difficult for Osula to feature. That raises the stakes for the £10million man on Wednesday. He needs to prove a point to Eddie Howe, who is trying to make his Newcastle side more lethal in front of goal.

Finding the back of the net has been an issue so far this season, and it is up to Osula to prove he can be a viable solution. That is something he has struggled to do since joining the Magpies, boasting three goals since the beginning of last season.

Will Osula may need to leave Newcastle United in January

Osula almost left Newcastle on transfer deadline day. There was talk of a £30million move to Eintracht Frankfurt, only for the Denmark Under-21s international to remain at St James’ Park.

Now, with more competition ahead of him on Tyneside, a loan move could be ideal for Osula.

He needs to be playing regularly, and that opportunity could come his way in 2026. By the turn of the year, Woltemade and Wissa will be well and truly up to speed, which could mean Osula is further away than ever from the Newcastle United starting XI.

With that in mind, it would perhaps be wise for the young striker to go out on loan at the start of next year. Newcastle obviously have high hopes for Osula, but he is at a stage in his career where he is going to benefit most from playing senior football, as opposed to training alongside Newcastle’s Champions League stars.