Mitrovic hardly did his chances of starting the EFL Cup quarter-final any favours against Blackburn but Benitez may overlook his display.
Hull City manager Mike Phelan admits that Hull City are struggling to deal with crosses – something that could pique the interest of Aleksandar Mitrovic in particular ahead of Newcastle United’s EFL Cup trip to the KCom Stadium on Tuesday.
The Tigers have kept just one clean sheet in the Premier League this season and were undone once more when West Brom defender Gareth McAuley rose to power home from a corner and give The Baggies a well-deserved lead on Humberside.
And, although a Robert Snodgrass-inspired Hull appeared a team transformed in the second-half, earning a point through Michael Dawson’s smart finish, Phelan will be scratching his head as to why his side, featuring two experienced Premier League defenders in the former Tottenham captain and Curtis Davies, freeze under a flighted ball.
“These days there are always a 96 minutes of a game in the Premier League and if you don’t stop crosses you will be punished,” the former Manchester United assistant said after the game in quotes reported by The Chronicle.
Such concerns should be music to the ears of Newcastle United, then, as the Magpies aim to add a semi-final appearance in the EFL Cup to their exceptional league campaign.
Rafael Benitez’s side have scored the joint most goals from set pieces in the Championship this season (11), while averaging 20 crosses per game, with the ‘on the money’ deliveries of Jonjo Shelvey and Matt Ritchie potentially Newcastle’s best chance of extending an all-too-rare cup run.
Consequently, it would be little surprise to see burly Serbian striker Mitrovic take to the field again in midweek despite his ineffective performance in Saturday’s defeat to Blackburn.
The fiery forward may have found minutes hard to come by this season, but he remains the most dangerous aerial threat at Newcastle’s disposal.
Therefore, he will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing Hull’s vertigo-suffering centre-backs.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
