Newcastle United were handed an injury scare as Miguel Almiron limped of in Paraguay’s 0-0 draw with Peru, but whilst the winger has not picked up an injury, Eddie Howe has a decision to make.
It was revealed that the Paraguay squad, including Almiron, were exhausted in this international break, and the 29-year-old limped off the pitch in the latter stages of the game.
It has since emerged that he is not injured, but Howe should consider resting him for Newcastle’s game against Brentford following the conclusion of the break.
Almiron will have done a lot of travelling in addition to his appearances and does not appear to be in the best physical condition, ahead of a tough month ahead for Newcastle.
Howe should now consider dropping Almiron to the bench and bringing in summer signing Harvey Barnes. The arrival from Leicester City could start on the left wing, with Anthony Gordon moving over to the right in place of the Paraguay star.
Almiron needs rotation
The winger is yet to score or assist in what has been a difficult start to the season for Newcastle, and given the run coming up, sitting out the Brentford game could do him a lot of good.
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Newcastle travel to the San Siro to face AC Milan after the Brentford clash, and Almiron could be in line to start this game as Howe will want to go full strength in the Champions League.
With this in mind, giving him a full rest after the International break, or at least not starting him against Brentford, could mean he comes in fully fresh against Milan, and can play himself back into form.
Barnes deserves a chance, with the winger yet to start following his big summer transfer, and now could be the best time for him to prove why he should be in the team. He was described as “unbelievable” prior to his move, and he could make a big impact as Newcastle aim to improve their results.
Howe will need to strike the right balance in terms of rotation for a number of players after the International break, and throughout the season key players may need to be rotated out of the team in order to cope with the busy fixture schedule.