Newcastle United’s next game is suddenly against Manchester City, which will likely be to the disappointment of Will Osula.
The Magpies were meant to be in action before Saturday’s game at St James’ Park, with Eddie Howe’s side due to compete in the Carabao Cup.
However, Newcastle’s third round tie against Wimbledon has been postponed due to flooding.
The game at the Cherry Red Records Stadium is off, and it looked like it might not be rearranged for a while. It had been reported that Newcastle will likely play against Wimbledon the week commencing October 28th, which is when the fourth round of the Carabao Cup will take place.
However, it has now been announced the Magpies will welcome Wimbledon to St James’ Park next week on October 1st.
The cup postponement is a bit of a boost for Eddie Howe. It means he now has more time to prepare for the Premier League clash with Manchester City, which will be an extremely challenging game. Erling Haaland is available after avoiding suspension, but Manchester City might be without Rodri due to injury.
Will Osula made his Newcastle United debut on Saturday
But the Wimbledon game being called off is not great news for everyone associated with Newcastle United.
In fact, you have to feel as if Will Osula will be gutted that the match is no longer taking place on Tuesday night.
The 21-year-old made his Newcastle United debut on Saturday, coming off the bench in the final 10 minutes to play up front alongside Alexander Isak. Osula failed to have an impact, as an ‘awful’ Newcastle United lost 3-1 to Fulham.
While it was a terrible performance from Newcastle, it was good to see Osula get his first minutes in a Toon shirt. Howe praised Osula ahead of the Fulham game, having previously been reluctant to play the forward following his summer transfer from Sheffield United.
But Howe changed his approach on Saturday, and finally gave Osula a chance.
Osula’s potential first Newcastle United start put on hold until next week
And if he is trusted enough to feature off the bench against Fulham, you have to assume he will be trusted to play against League Two Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup.
In fact, he may even have been in line to start on Tuesday night, as Alexander Isak does not look fully fit. He was a doubt for the game at Craven Cottage, yet went on to play the full 90 minutes.
However, it is difficult to envision that Isak would have started against Wimbledon, which could have meant an opportunity up top for Osula.
It would have been a chance for him to really show what he was about, and put into practice what he has learned since becoming a Newcastle United player.
Instead, Osula will have to wait until the rearranged fixture for a chance to start. Fortunately for him, the fact it is taking place on October 1st instead of the week commencing October 28th is a stroke of good fortune.
If the game against Wimbledon had been delayed until late October then Callum Wilson could have been available for the third round tie. He is currently out of action, but Wilson is expected to return after the international break. And he would be more likely to start than Osula, as Eddie Howe is extremely keen to take the cups seriously and end Newcastle United’s trophy drought.
Fortunately for Osula, the quick rearrangement means he still has a chance of making his first Newcastle United start very soon. It will be delayed for just seven days, rather than until further notice.
Now it is up to him to prove he definitely should start at St James’ Park next Tuesday night.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
