Eddie Howe posed £98m Newcastle United question as patience needed for ‘solution’

Wilson hasn’t featured for the Magpies since playing nine minutes against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium in the final game of last season. A back injury during pre-season meant he was forced to sit out all of their pre-season matches and all nine of their games so far this season.

Isak, meanwhile, started the season fit and firing, but a broken toe against Wolves kept him out of their final three games before this international break. Anthony Gordon has deputised as a striker in Isak’s absence whilst Will Osula, the only outfield player the club paid money for this summer, has had to settle for a spot on the bench and just one Premier League cameo appearance to his name.

Wilson and Isak’s absences have created an intriguing situation for Osula in that whilst he is playing the role that was intended for him this season, having no recognised striker currently not in the treatment room means there could have been a role for him to fill. And yet, he has had to settle for a place on the bench.

Like Lewis Hall last season, Osula has demonstrated raw talent but will need fine tuning on the training field to get him ready for Premier League football on a weekly basis. Osula put in a promising display against AFC Wimbledon, but it was clear by Howe’s second half substitutes, namely Bruno Guimaraes and Gordon, that there was not total confidence in a rotated team being able to see out that match.

Osula after the game stated whilst he was happy to be patient, he was ready for action if Howe needed him. That call, at Goodison Park at least, was not heeded.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s probably right that Osula isn’t chucked into the first-team too quickly and that his minutes on both the training pitch and on a weekend are managed, whatever the situation in the first-team. They demonstrated last season with Hall that this process can prove fruitful and gain results, but as their struggles in front of goal continue, calls to take a risk on Osula are only going to get louder.