Journalist Damian Spellman believes Eddie Howe could soon thrust Elliot Anderson into the Newcastle United spotlight.
The Lowdown: Howe may have little choice
In what is arguably Newcastle's most important period in the club's recent history as they are set to take part in a cup final for the first time since 1999, not everything is going according to plan.
That is because the injury woes are starting to rack up for Howe, with Joe Willock, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron all being forced off during their latest draw away to Bournemouth.
While Bruno Guimaraes will be back for the Carabao Cup final after serving his three-match suspension, he will still miss this weekend's clash against Liverpool - and if Willock is to miss that game with his hamstring injury, youngster Anderson could well earn his first Premier League start.
The Latest: Anderson could be handed a first league start
Spellman claimed on the Everything is Black and White podcast that due to injuries and suspensions, Howe could soon thrust Anderson into the starting lineup despite his lack of experience.
He said: "I know he's not a direct replacement, but he's a player who Eddie Howe has spoken about quite a lot this season. Elliot Anderson might find himself thrust into a role in which he can show how he's developed over time to the point where he is now - a permanent member of the squad and wasn't available for loan in either of the last two windows."
[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/" title="Newcastle news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]
The Verdict: Newcastle may look to rotate
It would be a huge call for Howe to hand Anderson a start or even simply a more prominent role against Liverpool considering he's yet to start a league game for the Magpies - although he has come off the bench in the last two games.
As Spellman alluded to, Howe clearly rates Anderson very highly as he refused to let the youngster leave on loan in January and saw him as a member of the squad that could be valuable in the second half of the season.
If Anderson was to start against Liverpool on Saturday evening, it would likely suggest that Howe has one eye on the Carabao Cup final next week by handing the youngster a start and wants to rest other regular first-team players.