Four goals in week may not be enough to keep Aleksandar Mitrovic in The Magpies’ XI against Cardiff City.
Former Newcastle United striker Micky Quinn expects Aleksandar Mitrovic to drop down to the substitutes bench this weekend despite his match-winning heroics against Preston North End, The Chronicle report.
The burly Serb has found game time hard to come by in recent weeks with Rafa Benitez preferring the light-footed Dwight Gayle and Ayoze Perez up.
However, an injury to Gayle meant Mitrovic seized a rare chance to stake his claim from the start with two well taken goals in a nervy 2-1 win at Deepdale on Saturday, adding to his brace agains the same opponents in the EFL Cup in midweek.
But, despite his netting four times in the space of four days, Quinn believes there remains no guarantee that he will keep his place against Cardiff this weekend.
“I know from personal experience how demoralising it can be to sit on the bench, finally get your chance and feel like you’ve taken it, only to be dropped,” Quinn, who averaged better than a goal every other game for The Magpies between 1989 and 1992, told The Chronicle.
“During my last few months at Newcastle, I had it under Kevin Keegan.
“On at least three occasions I was dropped, then given another opportunity, and every single time I felt like I impressed – only to be left out of the side again.
“For Mitrovic, that could well happen against Cardiff City this weekend.
“If Gayle is fit, then he is still the Magpies’ No 1 striker because he is the Championship’s top scorer and has already got 11 goals to his name so far this term.
“In that case, Mitrovic could well drop out of the side.”
The 22-year-old’s fighting spirit and professions of passion for a club that gave him the chance in English football has seen him forge a strong bond with the club’s supporters since he arrived last summer.
He certainly offers a physical alternative to the speed of Gayle (below) and Perez, but a record of 12 goals in 46 league appearances must be improved upon if he is to convince Benitez that he has the reliability required to lead the line for the Championship table-toppers.
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