Newcastle United were dealt a major blow heading into the international break, with talismanic forward Miguel Almiron having sustained a thigh injury in training ahead of the recent win over Nottingham Forest.
As Magpies boss Eddie Howe subsequently revealed, the injury to the Paraguay international is believed to be a "bad one", with the 29-year-old – who recently signed a new long-term extension at the club – likely to be absent for up to six weeks.
That news will likely have the St James' Park faithful fearing for the worst with regard to their top-four hopes, with Almiron having thus far been an integral part of the northeast side's push for Champions League qualification, scoring 11 Premier League goals this season.
The former Atlanta United man has enjoyed an "amazing transformation" since the start of the campaign, in the words of club legend Alan Shearer, having previously scored just nine league goals across the last three-and-a-half seasons combined.
To then be without such a crucial asset for an extended period of time will certainly leave Howe with a selection headache, particularly with January arrival Anthony Gordon having also been sidelined of late, while fellow winger Ryan Fraser has been banished from the first-team squad.
Rather than contemplating re-instating the latter man, the former Bournemouth boss should seemingly look to the academy ranks in order to find a suitable, injury solution, with 17-year-old Johnny Emerson one promising forward who could be deserving of a chance to shine.
Who is Johnny Emerson?
Although the teen sensation is yet to enjoy a taste of life in the senior set-up, the Carlisle-born ace has been in scintillating form in the academy ranks of late, having shown his flexibility to feature on either flank this season.
The Scotland youth international – who joined the Magpies from Queen of the South back in 2019 – has been a real weapon in his wide berth of late, having scored eight goals in just 13 Premier League appearances for the club's U18 side.
Not just a clinical presence in front of goal, the exciting talent has also registered one assist in that time as a marker of his creative flair, with it unsurprising to see just why there is such "positivity around him" at present, as per the Chronicle's Mark Carruthers.
While it would be a big leap for Emerson to move from the academy to the first-team – having only featured a handful of times for the club's U21 side – it does appear that Newcastle have a real gem on their hands, with the £180-per-week youngster notably scoring a hat-trick against Leeds United back in January.
With Howe and co unable to dip into the market to find a replacement for Almiron, there should be an opportunity for the likes of Emerson to chance their arm over the coming weeks, with there a possibility for a future star to emerge.
Not that the young winger would necessarily have to be thrust straight into a starting berth, although he could well provide strong competition for the likes of Jacob Murphy and Allan Saint-Maximin on the flanks.
With Elliot Anderson beginning to make his mark in Howe's side – having come off the bench at half-time against Forest – it should not be too long before another academy gem forces their way into the picture.