Five Newcastle United U21 players have been training with Matthias Jaissle’s first-team squad today, with the German needing reinforcements due to both the international break and the mini-injury crisis.
Mason Miley, Matheos Ferreira, Henry Johnson, Dylan Charlton and Miodrag Pivas all took to the pitch alongside the senior squad at the Knox today.
With Jaissle already being more than open about his willingness to get the young players involved and give them opportunities if they earn them, could today be a sign of things to come for the lads involved?
Who could be the closest to a first-team chance?
Mason Miley
Mason Miley has already appeared in a couple of matchday squads this season and could well be the closest of these five to getting a genuine opportunity. The 18-year-old had a rather hefty involvement in pre season before Amar Dedic arrived at right-back.
Miley, of course, already has his brother thriving under Jaissle’s reign and, although it seems the pathway for him has closed up slightly with Livramento, Dedic and his brother ahead of him in the pecking order at full-back, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Miley continue to make the bench and possibly even get some minutes if the injuries don’t subside.
Matheos Ferreira
Ferreira has scored a couple of goals already this season against senior opposition and could become an interesting option for Jaissle if the Magpies’ struggles to create chances continue.
The 18-year-old can play off the right or through the middle, but if the Hull City squad was anything to go by, is currently favoured less than some of his fellow youth players like Kyran Thompson and Vakthang Salia who both made the bench.
Henry Johnson
Henry Johnson featured in a couple of pre season games for the first team at centre-back and actually looked quite assured when he filled in.
Of course, chucking a young lad in at the heart of the defence in a Premier League game is a risky move, but the Magpies aren’t exactly stacked in that department right now with Dan Burn still out injured so, if he plays his cards right, you just never know.
Miodrag Pivas
Pivas played alongside Johnson in the second half against Strasbourg in pre season and also looked rather composed. The positive for the Serbian is that he can also play at left-back, a position which Newcastle are decidedly light with Lewis Hall away on international duty and both Dedic and Livramento currently injured.
Pivas is thought of quite highly in the academy and was one of the young names to make the bench against Hull City, which could suggest he may be thought of as a first-team asset going forward.
Dylan Charlton
Charlton has yet to make the senior bench this season but, like most of the others, he did play a big part in pre season.
He is an out-and-out left-back, which could be useful for Jaissle if some of the senior absentees continue and we might see him used to take the strain off Lewis Hall at points this season if his workload becomes too much.
A chance to impress
Training with the first team doesn’t guarantee any of these five will get minutes, but it does give them an opportunity to show Jaissle exactly what they can offer.
With injuries mounting and the international break leaving the squad short, it may not be long before one of these academy players gets the call.
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