Harrison Ashby could be thrown straight into the first-team fold at Newcastle United after Eddie Howe confirmed Javier Manquillo is set for a spell on the sidelines. The Spaniard suffered the minor setback on the training ground in recent days and is likely to miss around a month as he recovers on the sidelines.
Ashby has dreams of one day replacing Kieran Trippier as Newcastle's first choice right-back but may get to experience life in a matchday squad at St James' Park in the coming weeks with Manquillo out of action.
“He’s definitely one for the future, but he’s a talented young player," Howe told reporters when asked about the immediate plan for Ashby. "We feel he has areas to improve, as all young players do, but I think he has good character," Howe said at full-time.
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“He’s got really good ability, really good physical attributes and technical attributes. Javier Manquillo picked up an injury in training so he’ll be missing for three to four weeks, so it’s an area we were light in, in numbers, so bringing Harrison in, for good value in the market for current prices, was a good deal all round for us.”
Ashby was the only deadline day arrival on Tyneside as he finally completed his move from West Ham. The 21-year-old wanted a Newcastle switch in the summer but was persuaded to stay in the short-term by David Moyes.
Now the youngster wants to become the latest Howe transformation after getting his first taste of Newcastle life from the stands on Tuesday evening.
“I’m quite similar to Tripps, I like to get up and down, and for me, him being here is a big attraction," Ashby told NUFC TV. "He’s one of the best right-backs in the league, if not in Europe, so coming in to learn from him, especially when we’ve got similar styles of play, is going to be a big thing in my progression to being as good, if not better.”
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