Newcastle United striker Yoshinori Muto hasn’t played for two months.

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has told The Chronicle that Yoshinori Muto has to keep working and hoping for a chance.
The Magpies lost 2-0 at Aston Villa on Monday, serving up yet another disappointing attacking performance, leaving Bruce with questions to answer.
His expensive attack of Joelinton, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron has still only managed one goal between them this season, and Joelinton and Almiron are in danger of being dropped.
Bruce brought on Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle to try and change the game, but that didn’t work either as Newcastle just couldn’t break Villa down.
Bruce does have another option in his squad, as striker Yoshinori Muto is available, but is nowhere near the starting line-up as things stand.
Muto hasn’t played at all since the 5-0 defeat at Leicester City on September 29th, and even then he was hooked at half time after an anonymous display.

The Japanese striker, signed by Rafael Benitez in 2018, wants to leave according to The Telegraph, and he hasn’t really been given much hope of imminent playing time by Bruce.
Bruce has suggested that he hasn’t been picking Muto because he is now sixth in his attacking pecking order, and needs to just hope for a chance. If that doesn’t come over the busy festive period, surely he will be heading out of the club in January.
“Well at the moment we have three up top – and we have Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle, they are in front of him at the moment,” said Bruce. “But he’s just got to keep working away. And then hope for his chance,” he added.

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