Newcastle Transfers: Is Alan Pardew About To Bring Jamaal Lascelles In Early?

Squad inclusion suggests something might be afoot.

By Simon Gallagher /

Newcaslte have just publushed the updated squad lists for this season for every team, and there's something strange and noteworthy about Newcastle's list. Toon fans were furious at the tail-end of the transfer window (as generally seems to happen), because of the departure of Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa on loan to Roma and the club's odd decision not to replace him despite Alan Pardew's statement that no outgoing players would be left uncovered. And it seems the beleaguered manager might not have been lying, as some more cynical fans have openly suggested. As part of his rebuilding this summer, Pardew of course brought Nottingham Forest pair Karl Darlow and Jamaal Lascelles in for a combined fee thought to be in the region of £7m (much to Stuart Pearce's dismay), though the pair were subsequently sent back to Forest for the duration of this season. But now the confirmed squad list has revealed that Lascelles has been included in Newcastle's U21 squad, but Darlow has not.
Home grown (9): Ameobi, Colback, Dummett, Elliot, Krul, R.Taylor, S.Taylor, Vuckic, Williamson Non home grown (16): Abeid, Anita, Cabella, Cisse, Coloccini, De Jong, Ferreyra, Gouffran, Gutierrez, Haidara, Janmaat, Obertan, Riviere, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote. Under-21 (47): Aarons, Alnwick, Armstrong, Atkinson, Barlaser, Bigirimana, Broccoli, Cameron, Campbell, Charman, Cobain, Drennan, Gibson, Gillesphey, Gilliead, Good, Perez, Hall, Heardman, Holmes, Hunter, Johnson, Kemen, Kerridge, Laidler, Lascelles, Longstaff, Mbabu, McKinnon, Newberry, Olley, Pearson, Pollock, Quinn, Roberts, Satka, B.Smith, L.Smith, Sterry, Storey, Streete, Suddick, Trodd, Ward, Williams, Woodman, Woolston.
Quite why one of the loan signings would be included and not the other is the real issue here. Does it suggest that Lascelles can be recalled? Is that the thinking behind allowing Yanga-Mbiwa to leave on loan? The club clearly do not need to use Lascelles to make up the Homegrown requirement, and fellow loanees Hatem Ben Arfa Yanga-Mbiwa and Sylvain Marveaux were not included at all in the squad, confusing the precedent. Lascelles has only appeared once so far this season, and there is every possibility that he has been identified as the fourth centre-back, for when Newcastle need to bring in cover - in the event of an injury to either Fabricio Coloccini, Mike Williamson or Steven Taylor. The simple fact remains of course that the club should still have signed another centre-half, because the quality of the currently available options isn't what it could be, and weakening rather than strengthening was a near unforgivable decision - especially if it means the squad struggles. Meanwhile, Siem De Jong has been ruled out with a mystery injury - hopefully not a recurrence of his hamstring troubles of last season - and Newcastle now face the possibility of playing Hull in 9 days without the Dutchman or Jack Colback. Would you be happy to see Jamaal Lascelles promoted to the first-team from his loan? Share your thoughts below in the comments thread.