Will Osula injury could open door for Newcastle United youngster Afner Ca against Everton
Will Osula spent most of the first half last night hobbling around after twisting his ankle, before being replaced by Yoane Wissa at half-time. Whilst it isn’t yet confirmed how bad the injury is and if the Dane will miss any action, the possibility of Osula missing game time is already raising questIons about what the solution may be up front.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo has now missed two games and there is nothing to say exactly when he will return. That leaves the only other option as Yoane Wissa, who has been absolutely awful of late and is beginning to lose the backing of the Geordie faithful.
With that being the case, and the Premier League fixture against Everton on Monday night looming, could Osula’s possible absence leave the door open for youngster Afner Ca to take to the first-team stage for the first time?
Why I’d play Afner Ca
Of course, there is risk involved with playing Ca, mainly because he is yet to experience first team football in any capacity, but I’m not sure I can sit through a 90-minute Yoane Wissa display right now.
It’s also worth noting that Ca has been involved in first-team training for a good while now and Jaissle has spoken about his willingness to use young players where applicable, so actually giving him a chance against Everton isn’t as far fetched as it may first appear.
Although Ca is only 19 years of age, he has all of the attributes to be a potent centre-forward in a system like Jaissle’s as he progresses.
The Bissau-Guinaean is a massive physical presence, standing at 6ft 4in, and is exceptional when it comes to occupying centre-backs, holding the ball up, and bringing teammates into play.
He operates as a focal point, rather than trying to come deep like you see with the likes of Yoane Wissa, which would actually give the Magpies something to aim at knowing the ball would stick rather than playing longer balls and seeing them come straight back.
Ca is also a quick and powerful runner, with the ability to spin in behind and stretch the pitch also part of his repertoire.
Whilst his goalscoring prowess is yet to really spark into a barrage of goals, the centre-forward has shown he can put the ball in the net against senior opposition, scoring against York in the EFL Trophy. He also bagged a brace against Luton Town U21s in the Premier League cup.
A risk worth taking?
The reason I think Ca would work better is because I truly believe he offers a closer resemblance to what Osula does and, right now, the Dane is by far our best striker option.
It would, of course, be throwing the 19-year-old in at the deep end but, against a physical Everton side who didn’t seem to like Osula’s fleeting pace much in the opening exchanges, Ca could offer a well-rounded, fearless presence who can match the physicality of Everton’s two centre-backs.
If Wissa does have to play in Monday night’s game, it feels to me like the sort of affair in which he could quite easily just disappear.
He has been lazy in recent weeks, looked uninterested and has a tendency to get bullied out of the game by physical centre-backs. If that happens he will probably come deep looking for the ball, which will compact the midfield and make it more difficult to play.
To put it simply, I think it could be a recipe for disaster. So what harm could it do to give a big, bustling and motivated youngster the opportunity to do some damage?
