Newcastle United issue ‘big problem’ update after Sven Botman operation fear
Lee Ryder
3 – 4 minutes
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe could not afford to order his team back into training after the FA Cup exit against Brighton. The update come after reports that defender Sven Botman is set for a knee operation.
The Dutch ace has not featured for the Magpies since the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg win over Arsenal, having not long returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines. It is now claimed he will miss the Wembley cup final clash with Liverpool later this month.
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Rather than a return to training, the players were afforded a couple of days off instead and allowed to return home if they wanted to with Alexander Isak flying back to Sweden for some much needed rest and relaxation. Isak has been suffering with muscle tightness hence why he was subbed in the 2-1 defeat to the Seagulls on Sunday.
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He will be nursed through training and a big decision needs to be made on whether he plays against West Ham with Wembley now firmly on the horizon. After Lewis Hall was ruled out for the rest of the season there are still question marks over Isak’s fitness while Botman’s injury status will be clarified over the next 24 hours with the Carabao Cup final now just 10 days away.
The Daily Mail claim Botman saw a specialist yesterday and has been advised to have surgery on his knee. It’s still unclear the extent of his injury, but he will miss the Wembley showpiece final.
Howe told Chronicle Live: “We’ve got a couple of injury problems developing that we hope don’t turn into big problems for us because that would be really tough for us to manage because we don’t have the strength and depth that we need.
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“So we need to try and keep as many players as fit as possible but pick our general performances back up to where they were a few weeks ago. We’re still a very good team. We just need to get back into that with them.”
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Without Hall, Newcastle must rethink their defensive strategy with Tino Livramento filling it at left-back against Brighton. Matt Targett, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn are other contenders for the slot at West Ham.
Emil Krafth could also be handed a role as Newcastle look to manage their wafer-thin resources through the next 10 days. The Magpies were weakened in the winter transfer window by the departure of Lloyd Kelly to Juventus. Kelly could operate at centre-half or left back.
Jamaal Lascelles is another defender unavailable to Howe. The club captain has yet to recover from his own knee injury and is not expected to return until May.
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