Newcastle have struggled throughout this season in the Premier League and are currently 17th in the table as it stands.

The Magpies are one point ahead of 18th-placed Norwich and have the second-worst defensive record in the division, with 44 goals conceded in 22 games.

However, they have also struggled to find consistent goalscorers. They have netted 24 goals in 22 games and are now set to be without their top scorer Callum Wilson for the majority of the campaign.

The ex-Bournemouth forward has been tipped to return for the last few matches of the season and has scored six Premier League goals this term, with 18 since the start of the 2020/21 campaign. This shows how important he has been to the team and why his absence is a major blow for Howe's squad heading into the next few months.

Forget Wilson

It is time to forget about Wilson for now though, as he will not be back for a little while yet, and start focusing on potential solutions at the top end of the pitch. How can Newcastle replace his goals?

January signing Chris Wood has scored three league goals in 20 appearances for Burnley and the Magpies combined this season and does not appear to offer the same goalscoring threat as his teammate. This means that it could be the right time to dip into the academy structure to find a new first-team hero.

One young player who has been making waves at youth level is teenage centre-forward Michael Ndiweni. The Chronicle recently reported that he has been called up to training with the senior squad after impressing Howe, which suggests that he could have the potential to make the step up. 

In the academy this season, Ndiweni has scored an outstanding 12 goals in 13 matches. This means that he has found the back of the net every 1.08 matches this term, including eight goals in 10 Under-18 Premier League games. He even managed to score in his one EFL Trophy outing, despite being on the pitch for just 17 minutes, which further highlights his goalscoring instincts.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the 18-year-old will be able to translate this form into senior level, it does show that he is a young player with potential who knows how to score goals. With Newcastle currently lacking in that department, the timing could be right for Howe to unleash him in the Premier League to solve his Callum Wilson problem in the coming weeks and months.

The teenage dynamo could be hungry to grasp a first-team debut with both hands, and his hunger to impress could be a useful quality to have in a relegation fight as every player needs to give 100% to the cause to pick up points. Howe must now make the call and give Ndiweni an opportunity, whether that comes off the bench or from the start, as he can be the solution to the Magpies' attacking woes.

AND in other news, "Big" offer made: PIF plotting exciting NUFC swoop that'll leave Eddie Howe buzzing...