Yoshinori Muto has played just 25 minutes of Premier League football since Steve Bruce took over at Newcastle United.
Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup clash against Leicester City on Wednesday night provides a timely opportunity for the fringe players, and there’s a lot of them, to stake their claim in Steve Bruce’s starting XI.
And, for Yoshinori Muto, the second round’s only all Premier League tie feels rather make-or-break; a golden opportunity he really cannot afford to waste at a crucial stage of his Newcastle career.
A £9.5 million signing from Mainz in the summer of 2018 (the Guardian), a Japanese international striker who caught the eye in the Bundesliga with his movement and work-rate is in danger of vanishing on English shores like compatriots Shinji Kagawa and Kazuyuki Toda.
He’s started just seven Premier League games so far, scoring once, and if he was hoping for a fresh start under Steve Bruce he’s been sadly mistaken. Three matches into the new season, Muto has featured for a grand total of 25 minutes.
The 27-year-old is clearly behind Joelinton and Miguel Almiron, who are already established as Bruce’s first-choice front two with their blend of power and speed, while Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle could also move ahead of him in the pecking order when the injury-stricken duo return to contention.
So with Muto expected to lead the line for Newcastle when they host Leicester at St James’ Park, a one-time wonderkid who turned down Chelsea at the age of 22 according to the Telegraph might never have a better chance to catch Bruce’s eye.
Should the Magpies crash out against the Foxes, there will be no more cup fixtures until after the January transfer window opens. Muto could be on his way out by the FA Cup third round stage.
But if Muto can show the kind of skill and poaching ability that made him a star at Mainz, there’s no reason why he cannot salvage a Newcastle career that promised so much 12 months ago. Whisper it but he might actually be the most natural goalscorer in Bruce’s squad.
Fail, however, and Muto could end the year as the Magpies’ fifth-choice striker.
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