Newcastle are set to be without Jetro Willems and Paul Dummett for the rest of the season.
Steve Bruce confirmed the bad news in his pre-match press conference, and the injuries could force Newcastle into signing a new left-back.
Luckily Matt Ritchie is back fit, but he’ll need a deputy for the rest of the season. But do Newcastle potentially have a solution under their noses?
Rolando Aarons is back from his loan spell with Wycombe Wanderers, currently waiting to see what his future holds. He’ll have expected to go out on loan again, but the injuries to Willems and Dummett could present him with an opportunity.
Aarons featured at left wing-back in pre-season, and many fans were surprised to see him miss out on Bruce’s 25-man Premier League squad.
There was talk of a permanent move for Jetro Willems in the summer, and the Magpies should still consider that despite his injury. So any player who comes in would merely just be a place holder until the Dutchman’s return.
Therefore, Newcastle could decide to just promote Aarons to back up left wing-back, and invest the money elsewhere. It would be seen as a risk by some as Aarons has never really kicked on like many expected him to, but he’d spend the majority of time on the bench anyway.
If Aarons can prove he has the appetite in training, this might be something for Bruce to consider.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
