According to The Athletic, there is an acceptance at Newcastle United that Miguel Almiron’s self-belief is suffering due to his drought in front of goal.

Since arriving at Saint James Park from Atlanta FC for a then club-record fee of £21 million in January, the Paraguay international has yet to score or register an assist for the Magpies.

Almiron ended the 2018 MLS season with 13 league goals and 11 assists, and it’s perfectly understandable if the Newcastle midfielder is worried about his lack of input in the final third.

The South American playmaker was in impressive form during the Copa America in the summer, assisting twice in four games, and he also scored in the 4-2 friendly win over Jordan on Tuesday, so clearly he still knows how to be productive in the final third.

Without a doubt, the 25-year-old will eventually open his goalscoring and assisting accounts for Newcastle, but the earlier he does, the better for his morale.

With just 13 starts Premier League starts to his name, Almiron’s drought shouldn’t necessarily worry him, and manager Steve Bruce has decided that he should press defences where possible and give the center-forward greater support going forward.

Newcastle travel to the dreaded Anfield to face Liverpool on Saturday, and while they have a very tiny chance of leaving with a point, the players will fancy the possibility of causing an upset after doing so against Tottenham Hotspur, and it could just be the game where Almiron finds the back of the net for the first time.