With less than five games, Eddie Howe’s ‘very talented’ Newcastle signing already looks doomed to fail

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Newcastle United are going through somewhat of an injury crisis at the moment and one star failing to come into their ranks is a telling sign.

The Magpies have had an average start to the Premier League season, winning just two of their seven games and none at St. James’ Park, though the signs are there that Eddie Howe is beginning to get the best out of his team.

Although Nick Woltemade, Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali are all beginning to show Newcastle their excellent abilities, there is one dilemma that has cropped up for the English boss with short numbers to deal with at full-back.

And a lack of appearances for young defender Harrison Ashby, especially in a time of extreme need, appear to have signalled his fate in the North East.

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Eddie Howe’s actions in Newcastle injury crisis spells bad news for Harrison Ashby

Two wins in two games for Newcastle – a 4-0 drubbing of Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League and a 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League respectively – have catapulted their season from below-par to promising.

However, Eddie Howe has had to deal with injuries to young full-back pairing Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, springing early problems so far in their league campaign.

Kieran Trippier has filled in at right-back for Livramento as expected, though both he and the youngster can play on the left in Hall’s absence.

If Hall were out of action alone, then one of the duo would move over to the left-hand side to combat any injury woes. But with Livramento out, Trippier is needed at right-back and that has seen Dan Burn play at left-back.

If Harrison Ashby were on the bench for those games, there could be an argument for him to make his way into the first-team due to Burn’s lack of attacking nature.

However, it’s youngster Alex Murphy and experienced star Emil Krafth that have taken those spots on the substitute bench in recent weeks.

It all but signals the end of Ashby’s Newcastle career, despite his promising nature through the academy days of his career. With Krafth being ahead of him at the age of 30 and under a year left on his contract, it shows there is no progression plan.

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Harrison Ashby has zero minutes for Newcastle despite being called ‘very talented’

Ashby joined Newcastle two-and-a-half years ago from West Ham United, with any potential deal being worth around £3million, having made seven first-team appearances for the Hammers. Ashby was even called ‘very talented’ by Eddie Howe in the process.

At the time, he certainly wasn’t going to break past Trippier in the pecking order with Newcastle being en route to securing a Champions League spot, but he had huge upside potential having only just turned 21.

However, he’s yet to turn out for the Magpies. In fact, Ashby has only featured on their bench twice since his move, coming in the final two games of the 2022-23 season when Newcastle had all but secured a Champions League place, in draws to Leicester City and Chelsea.

He’s had loan spells at Championship outfits Swansea City and Queens Park Rangers, but Ashby seems a long way off the first-team just yet.

If Eddie Howe isn’t going to call upon him now, then he never will in a time of need and without saying anything, it could spell the end of Ashby’s time on Tyneside.