4 NUFC Youngsters Who Could Step In During Defensive Crisis

2. Lubomir Satka

Another 19-year-old defender who is yet to make a Premier League appearance but who has regularly found himself in the Newcastle squad this season, Lubomir Satka is a former Slovakian Under-19 international. Although his first-team debut resulted in the 1-0 FA Cup third-round loss to Leicester City in January, Satka perhaps deserves the opportunity to be thrown into the first-team mix. Newcastle don't exactly have many options - and Satka is supposedly next in line to make the step up. At 6ft 2ins Satka is a reasonable height, if rather slight of build, and his added mobility could benefit a Newcastle defence that has been leaking goals at an alarming rate in recent weeks. He was reasonable against Blackburn, if unspectacular, but he is certainly comfortable on the ball and he is not afraid to take control of position. Satka leads from the front and constantly communicates with his teammates, as he did against Blackburn. As the Under-21 captain, he could also add a voice to the Newcastle defence - something which has been severely lacking recently - even if he is likely to be nervous upon making the step-up. Defending West Brom's aerial bombardment is once again a concern, however, due to his slight frame. Verdict: Satka isn't exactly smashing the door down to be selected for the first team, but he probably deserves a chance - at the very least on the bench - against West Brom. Although slight of build, he is a centre-back at the end of the day - so it could be better to have a specialist player in his position against West Brom. It would be a risk to play Satka, but one that is probably worth taking - he is a better option at centre-back than Ryan Taylor anyway.