Rafa Benitez insists Aleksandar Mitrovic remains in his Newcastle United plans for now - though admits he will have to assess his squad come the January transfer window.
The Serbian has yet to start a Premier League game so far this season and has not been named in three of the last four matchday squads.
He is currently third-choice forward behind Joselu and Dwight Gayle, and reports in Belgium have suggested former club Anderlecht could make a January loan bid for the 23-year-old.
But Benitez is refusing to make any definitive decisions about the medium-term future of any of his players until the January transfer window opens - and has instead challenged Mitrovic to win his place in the Magpies starting XI.
“Every player who is not playing, the closer we get to January, there could be a rumour in the Press,” Benitez said of Mitrovic ahead of Saturday’s Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth at St James’ Park.
“But at the moment we are working with 26 players in the squad to try to improve them. I cannot say, ‘I want to do this or that’, because maybe we cannot.
“I had this conversation with an agent the other day, I said: ‘You have to wait until December to see where we are because if I say yes, he can go, after that we could have an injury.’ So why do I have to sell my player if I don’t have a replacement.
“Then you go for the replacement and it’s £30million, or he wants to wait until next year, or won’t come because we don’t play Champions League.
“So why do I have to agree to something now when have two months to go? Are we working on names? Yes, you have to be ready.”
Joselu has scored twice for Newcastle so far this season, yet has started eight league matches in succession.
But Benitez has told Mitrovic and Gayle to be ready to grasp their chance, should it arrive.
“It’s the same answer when people are asking about [Ciaran] Clark and [Chancel] Mbemba,” Benitez added.
“Mitrovic, Dwight... they have to keep working hard.”
The continued presence of Joselu as a lone forward with Ayoze Perez behind him as a No 10 - the latter is one of only three Newcastle players to start every Premier League match this season - has been questioned by Magpies supporters, given that only 10 goals have been scored in 10 games.
Yet, outside of the top eight, only two teams - Leicester City (14) and Stoke City (11) - have netted on more occasions than United so far this term.
“We are doing well when compared to other teams. Just three teams have scored more goals than us in the 14 teams at the bottom. No-one has conceded less than us. We have the balance,” Benitez added.
“But have these players scored loads more than Joselu? Most of them have not, and they do not do the work that Joselu and Ayoze are doing for us.
“Where are we? We are in a really good position, we score goals - hopefully we will score more, but we are not bad when you look at the league - we have conceded less than the others.
“We have balance, we have points and we work as a team. On September 1 we were talking about where we could finish. Now we cannot be worried because we have lost this game and maybe we could score more goals.
“Maybe, yes, but maybe doesn’t change our position now. We are in a good position now and we are not as bad as people think.
“The strikers maybe do need to score more, but we are quite good when compared to others.
“Our players are doing a great job for the team, and thanks to them we concede less, get more points and are ninth in the table.”
One of Benitez’s priority targets during the summer window was Tammy Abraham, with a loan deal for the Chelsea forward seemingly all-but agreed.
However, Abraham eventually joined Swansea City and has scored four goals in nine top-flight starts, earning an England call-up in the process.
Benitez admits the 20-year-old could have been a Magpie this term - but instead the Spaniard must focus on his own team rather than those players who the club failed to sign.
“We knew that he was a player with potential and could go with the national team now or in the future. He was with the Under-21s,” Benitez said of Abraham.
“Yes [he could have been here], but he’s not here. We have to be sure we improve our players.”
BURNLEY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Shelvey, Diamé (Gayle 83), Ritchie (Murphy 79), Pérez (Hayden 76), Atsu, Joselu
Subs: Clark, Saivet, Darlow, Gámez
NEWCASTLE 1 CRYSTAL PALACE 0 ((Merino)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Hayden (Merino 56), Shelvey, Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 66), Atsu, Joselu (Mitrovic 78)
Subs: Clark, Murphy, Darlow, Gámez
SOUTHAMPTON 2 NEWCASTLE 2 (Hayden, Perez)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Lejeune, Manquillo, Ritchie, Shelvey, Hayden, Atsu (Murphy 82), Perez (Merino 63), Joselu (Gayle 69).
Subs: Darlow, Clark, Gamez, Diame.
NEWCASTLE 1 LIVERPOOL 1 (Joselu)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Manquillo, Shelvey, Merino (Hayden 74), Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 90+1), Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 79)
Subs: Murphy, Lejeune, Darlow, Gámez
BRIGHTON 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba (Gámez 83'), Hayden (Shelvey 68'), Merino, Ritchie, Pérez, Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 71')
Subs: Murphy, Diamé, Manquillo, Darlow
NEWCASTLE 2 STOKE CITY 1 (Atsu, Lascelles)
Elliot, Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Hayden (Shelveyat 69'), Merino, Ritchie, Pérez (Diamé 86'), Atsu, Joselu (Gayle 78')
Subs: Murphy, Manquillo, Lejeune, Woodman
SWANSEA 0 NEWCASTLE 1 (Lascelles)
Elliot, Manquillo, Clark, Lascelles, Gamez, Hayden (Diame 69), Merino, Ritchie, Perez, Murphy (Atsu 59), Joselu (Gayle 78).
Unused subs: Shelvey, Lejeune, Yedlin, Woodman.
NEWCASTLE 3 WEST HAM 0 (Clark, Joselu, Mitrovic)
Elliot, Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Merino, Hayden (Diaméat 82'), Ritchie (Murphy 88'), Pérez, Atsu, Joselu (Mitrovic 72')
Subs: Aarons, Saivet. Gámez, Woodman
LC NEWCASTLE 2 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3 (Mitrovic, Aarons)
Darlow; Sterry (Lazaar, 58), Hanley, Mbemba, Gamez; Saivet, Barlaser (Hayden, 70); Murphy, Diame, Aarons (Ritchie, 76); Mitrovic (Joselu, 105).
Subs not used: Woodman, Lascelles, Manquillo.
HUDDERSFIELD 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Elliot, Manquillo, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba, Hayden (Diame 76), Merino, Atsu, Perez (Murphy 80), Ritchie, Gayle (Joselu 52).
Subs not used: Saivet, Aarons, Darlow, Mitrovic.
NEWCASTLE 0 TOTTENHAM 2
Elliot, Manquillo, Lejeune (Mbemba 34'), Clark, Dummett (Lascelles 7'), Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie, Pérez, Atsu, Gayle (Merinoat 76')
Subs: Murphy, Aarons, Merino, Darlow, Mitrovic
PRE-SEASON
NEWCASTLE 2 HELLAS VERONA 0 (Perez, Atsu)
Elliot (Darlow 64), Manquillo (Gamez 64), Lejeune (Lascelles 64), Clark (Mbemba 64), Dummett (Merino 64), Ritchie, Shelvey (Aarons 64), Hayden, Atsu (Murphy 64), Perez (De Jong 72), Mitrovic (Diame 64)
WOLFSBERG 1 NEWCASTLE 3 (Mitrovic, Ritchie Pen, Atsu)
Elliot (Darlow, 70), Manquillo (Mbemba, 70), Lejeune (Lascelles, 70), Clark, Dummett (Gamez, 70), Ritchie (Murphy, 70), Shelvey, Hayden (Merino, 70), Atsu (Aarons, 70), Perez (de Jong, 70), Mitrovic (Diame, 46).
Subs not used: Colback, Gayle.
MAINZ 2 NEWCASTLE 1 (Gamez)
Darlow (Woodman 60), Yedlin (Manquillo 27), Clark (Mbemba 46), Lejuene (Merino 79), Dummett (Gamez 46), Colback (Shelvey 60), Diame (Perez 60), Murphy (Hayden 60), Ritchie (Aarons 46), De Jong (Atsu 60), Mitrovic (Gayle 60)
BRADFORD CITY 0 NEWCASTLE 4 (Gayle, Murphy 2, Mitrovic)
Elliot (Woodman, 61), Yedlin (Manquillo, 46), Lejeune (Mbemba, 61), Clark (Saivet, 77), Dummett (Gamez, 61), Atsu (De Jong, 61), Shelvey (Aarons, 61), Hayden (Colback, 77), Ritchie (Murphy, 46), Perez (Diame, 46), Gayle (Mitrovic, 61).
PRESTON 1 NEWCASTLE 1 (Mitrovic)
Elliot (Darlow, 46, Woodman, 70), Mbemba, Hanley (Yedlin, 46), Lejeune (Manquillo, 77), Dummett (Clark, 46), Atsu (Murphy, 46), Diame (Colback, 46), Shelvey (Hayden, 46), Aarons (Perez, 46), de Jong (Roberts, 62), Mitrovic (Gayle, 46).
HEARTS 1 NEWCASTLE 2 (Gayle 2)
Elliot (Woodman 63), Aarons(Gamez 46), Clark (Dummett 46), Mbemba (Hanley 62), Lascelles (Lejeune 46), Haidara (Colback 62), Shelvey (Saivet 46), Diame (Armstrong 62), De Jong (Lazaar 75), Atsu (Perez 46), Gayle (Mitrovic 46)