Newcastle United attacker Yoshinori Muto is ‘out of favour’ at the club this season, according to the Shields Gazette.
The newspaper claims that the Japan international is currently in head coach Steve Bruce’s bad books, despite him not having many attacking options at present.
It’s telling that, despite the struggles of club record signing Joelinton and January arrival Miguel Almiron, the 27-year-old has still started just one Premier League game this term.
The Gazette’s report reads: “And with Yoshinori Muto out of favour, Andy Carroll not yet firing and Dwight Gayle out of favour, Bruce doesn’t have many options.”
OPINION
It’s been a tough stint at Newcastle so far for the 2018 summer signing. He struggled with injuries and a lack of game time under Rafael Benitez last season, and his issues have continued into the new campaign under Bruce. It’s a damning indictment of the former Mainz man that he still can’t get in the team even when the Magpies are looking so woeful in front of goal. The statistics from this season, though, show that he has mustered up very little to change the head coach’s mind on him. As per WhoScored.com, Muto has scored just once this term – in the Carabao Cup – and is averaging only 0.2 shots per game in the Premier League. Furthermore, he’s made no key passes, is embarking on just 0.4 dribbles per outing, and is averging 1.2 unsuccessful touches per game. That’s not going to convince the boss to play you, is it? He needs to do more, although he will argue that he’s not been given a fair crack of the whip so far. Still, it’s starting to look like the clock is ticking on his career in the north east.
