Newcastle United fans hoping that Rolando Aarons will be their knight in shining armour in the battle against relegation from the Premier League need not to get their hopes up. The winger played the first half of the club's U21 fixture against Blackburn Rovers at St James' Park last night and looked a long way from his best. On the face of things, the best The Magpies' fanatics can hope for would be a substitute appearance against Queens Park Rangers and perhaps a start against West Ham on the final day. Other than that, it doesn't look good. Let's be fair to young Rolando. This was his first run out in over six months so Newcastle need to be sure not to do too much too soon with him. His hamstring is what has kept him out since the 1-0 win over Liverpool in November and as the likes of Craig Bellamy and Kieron Dyer showed, not letting the ol' hammy recover fully could be devastating for his fledgling career. Still, he was one of the more impressive players on the pitch during the first 45. Him, Adam Armstrong and Jamie Sterry are clearly a class above their teammates and could prove to be crucial secret weapons for the first team. Blackburn did a job on Aarons. Every time he got the ball it seemed two men were on him in an instant. Despite this, he did show a couple of moments of flair with a mazy dribble or two and a defence splitting pass for Armstrong to run on to. He also came close to getting his name on the scoresheet when Adam Laidler's left-wing cross found its way through to him on the other side of the area. The England U20 international took the ball down brilliantly before pulling the trigger. His strike was deflected which completely wrongfooted Crump in the Rovers goal but bounced against the upright and away to safety. That was your lot for Aarons as he didn't return from the changing rooms after half time, being replaced by another first team wannabe in Callum Roberts. But watching his performance it was clear to see he was some way away from the man that burst onto the scene at the start of the season. It would be a major shock if he played any part in the West Brom game at the weekend but as his fitness will inevitably return to its pristine best, a run out against QPR from the bench is a lot more likely. Still plenty of work for youngster to do. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.
