Newcastle United have had quite a turbulent campaign so far. In their most recent outing against Arsenal, the Magpies managed to concede four goals during what was one of their worst losses of the season.
Eddie Howe's men have managed to go from qualifying for the Champions League to a mid-table Premier League side in a matter of months, and it feels as if the squad of 2022/23 are no longer there.
Indeed, Newcastle have gone through something of an injury crisis this term with multiple first-team players being sidelined together on more than one occasion.
However, with the players who were fit, they should've had more than enough quality to still perform competitively in England's top flight.
But, this hasn't been the case for the Magpies with many of their reliable players from last season not performing up to the standards expected.
One of those in particular is that of Miguel Almiron. 2022/23 was by far and away the most prolific of the Paraguay international's Newcastle career after he was involved in a total of 25 goals across all competitions in just 41 games.
Miguel Almiron's season in numbers so far
Despite only being sidelined for a total of two games this term, the 30-year-old has only managed to contribute to seven goals.
Although this is half of what he managed last season, he has played way more than half of the games he played throughout 2023/24.
At the time of writing, Almiron has played 36 matches in total and is yet to hit a combined total of five goals or assists in any individual competition.
Additionally, in Newcastle's most recent game against Arsenal, the winger somehow managed to have fewer touches on the ball than goalkeeper Loris Karius during what was a poor performance.
As per Sofascore, Karius amassed a total of 43 touches, whereas, Almiron managed less than half of that and ended up with 21 until he was taken off in the 64th minute.
Not only this, but, during the entirety of the time the £60k-per-week winger was on the pitch, he failed to register a shot or key pass.
Minutes played
64
Touches
21
Accurate passes
13/16 (81%)
Key passes
0
Crosses
0/1
Dribbles
0/1
Shots
0
Duels won
3/6
These are not the things you want to see from one of your star starting players, especially after having his best campaign last time out. As a result, dropping him to the bench for tonight's FA Cup tie with Blackburn Rovers could be for the best.
Newcastle's Miguel Almiron replacement
Although Newcastle's injuries hinder their attacking options somewhat, there are a plethora of options for Howe to look into when replacing Almiron.
The most obvious choice would be that of Harvey Barnes. Signed in the summer for a fee worth £38m, the former Leicester man has been sidelined for some time due to injury but has since returned and appeared on the bench.
When fit, the winger has played 11 times and has managed to contribute to two goals so far. Although these statistics don't scream 'upgrade', the injuries the England international has suffered need to be taken into account.
His appearances have been scattered with Barnes missing a total of 27 fixtures through injury this season. So, his form can't really be a fair judgment of his footballing prowess.
If injuries allow it, having an extended run in the team could be highly beneficial for Barnes and could potentially reinvigorate the Magpies' squad. That may well start with Blackburn on Tuesday evening.
