Rolando Aarons found the back of the net for Newcastle’s reserve side on Tuesday night.
Injury-prone Newcastle speed machine Rolando Aarons has already experienced more than his fair share of injury nightmares at just 21 years of age.
Last season, the Toon academy product nursed a broken metatarsal before rupturing his cruciate ligaments, limiting him to just five appearances in all competitions throughout the entire 2016-17 campaign.
The Jamaican-born England Under-20 international is known for his explosive speed and trickery on the ball, but also offers intelligence and the ability to either create or score a goal himself.
Newcastle have managed just 10 Premier League goals in 11 outings and a creative spark is desperately required to rejig Rafa Benitez’s side, after suffering two successive 1-0 defeats in matches they would have considered winnable, against Bournemouth and Burnley.
Before his injury troubles, Aarons was given a chance in the Premier League and during his 14 career appearances in England’s top flight, Newcastle’s number 16 has scored twice against Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
Even this season, Aarons’ only senior appearance showed just the kind of talent he boasts. Scoring one and setting another up, he was Newcastle’s only shining light from their extra-time 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
That was followed up by Newcastle Under-21’s only goal in a 4-1 loss to Oldham at Boundary Park in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night; again proving to be one of Newcastle’s only positives.
Benitez must now consider handing Aarons a chance back in the Premier League with Newcastle, as the fleet-footed ace holds the key that will push Newcastle away from a relegation dog fight.
He boasts exactly what Newcastle need. An attacking tenacity, twinned with invention in the final third, that will strike fear instead of confidence into opposition defences. Aarons must start against Man United on November 18.
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