The Magpies named Afner Ca in their match day squad for the encounter with Aston Villa - but it doesn't look like a one-off

Matthias Jaissle continues to ponder whether to hand 6ft 4in teenage centre-forward Afner Ca a Premier League debut that could catch opposing defences by surprise.

Eyebrows were raised when 19-year-old Ca was included in Jaissle's squad for the home clash against Aston Villa on Saturday night. In the end he was not named on the bench and drafted in as cover in case anybody was hurt in the warm-up.

But the reserve team striker could be considered a decent option if Newcastle are chasing a goal, having opted to throw 6ft 7in Dan Burn into the attack against Villa. Since Saturday, Ca has remained in the manager's thinking and has trained with the first-team all week.

Make sure you never miss the latest Newcastle United news and opinion by making Chronicle Live one of your Google preferred sources.

And while it remains to be seen whether Ca will get the chance of a lifetime in the Premier League, it is a clear indication that Jaissle isn't set in his ways and will throw youth a chance when he sees fit. Ca was pictured in training from the official batch of photos released in the build-up to Palace this week, and some fans would welcome the chance to see him in action.

Newcastle only signed Ca in the summer on a five-year deal from Levante and he said in July: “The project here, the lifestyle, and the club’s ambition made this the right move for me.

“I’m a forward who likes to find space, link play, and work hard for the team. Scoring goals is a big part of my game, but my focus is always on contributing to the group, whatever helps the team win."

Jaissle has always indicated it would be a brave project this season, but nothing would be braver than handing the Under-21 star a chance after just two months and three goals in the second string. Jaissle vowed only last week: "It's a brave journey the club is going to and I'm fully committed in that.

"So now, if there is one setback, we shouldn't delete our journey or our vision.

"No, we are fully committed. We are fully aligned. We anticipated that, that something like that against Leeds happened, or is happening also in the next weeks and month. Then it's just on us to respond, But still believing, We don't change it."

Ross Wilson, Newcastle United Sporting Director, had said on Ca: "We’re pleased to see Afner join our Academy. He’s an exciting profile who has shown real growth over the last couple of seasons, having developed well during this time in both Portugal and Spain.

"We’re committed to adding talented young players who can grow with us. We’re excited to work with him in our development programme."

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest NUFC news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Everything is Black and White podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.