Is he the key to the Newcastle attack? Maybe not yet.
Newcastle United and manager Rafa Benitez are preparing for an important month in September, and begin against Swansea City on Sunday. One player who will not be a part of that game is striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is serving a three-match FA ban for violent conduct.
The Serbian forward has been nothing short of an enigma in recent times, and his scoring form on the international stage has been outstanding. The 22-year-old netted his tenth career goal for his country in a 3-0 victory versus Moldova this past weekend.
But for the Magpies, his intensity and attitude can bring about serious issues. Dips in form do not help matters either, and Benitez has an interesting conundrum on his hands moving ahead.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scores Serbia's third goal against Moldova!#NUFC pic.twitter.com/WOS5h2L0Aq
— Newcastle Toons (@NewcastleToons) September 2, 2017
What to make of his return?
Joselu bagging his first strike in the win over West Ham was a promising start, and there is certainly reason to believe that success for him will continue.
But now with Dwight Gayle struggling, Mitrovic may be needed more than ever.
The passion is present, and it can be infectious for everyone from his team-mates to the fans. The young striker brings so much, but that energy can boil over similar to what we saw in the West Ham match.
And while Mitrovic’s recent scoring run with Serbia is noteworthy, goals against football juggernauts like Georgia and Moldova are a bit different than facing clubs in the Premier League.
Benitez must be able to trust his players, and the best way for the forward to do just that is to put in the work on and off the pitch. The potential is there, but earning your manager’s trust takes time and effort.
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Newcastle United and Rafa Benitez want to see Aleksandar Mitrovic succeed. But in order to do so, he must learn to control his emotions and decisions within the game.