According to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope, Newcastle United centre-back Sven Botman will not require surgery on his injury and is back in individual training ahead of the Manchester United clash.
It’s safe to say that Newcastle have had their fair share of injury issues over the last four weeks with eleven players out in total including Sandro Tonali who has been suspended for 10 months for illegal gambling.
Despite having a large chunk of the first-team squad missing over the last month, the remaining players have shown fantastic resilience and a clear understanding of what Eddie Howe expects from the performances put on, with the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain away from home a testament to the culture the manager has instated.
Lewis Miley and Tino Livramento have been shining and both stepped up emphatically in recent displays, something that has pleased both the Newcastle supporters and the manager.
Having said that, pressure mustn’t be mounted on these young players and the sooner the more experienced members of the squad make a full recovery the better to ensure Newcastle retain their spots in domestic and European competitions, whilst competing to get back in the Premier League’s top four.
Although bad news surrounding injuries has come thick and fast, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope took to Twitter to finally deliver some good news about Sven Botman’s road to recovery:
“Hope remains that Sven Botman will not need surgery. Defender is now training individually on the grass #nufc”
When will Botman return to action?
There is no doubt that Botman’s return will be one of the most highly-anticipated by Newcastle fans as he has quickly become a firm favourite and a defensive talisman in the Geordie Boys’ back four.
Club captain Jamaal Lascelles has been holding the fort well alongside Fabian Schar in the centre-back partnership but there is no denying that the 23-year-old Dutchman is sorely missed at St James’ Park.
The youthful defender has been recipient of huge praise since his arrival on Tyneside in the summer 2022 with Sky Sports pundit and ex-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp claiming that Botman could be the greatest centre-back the Premier League has ever seen.
He told Sky Sports in a post-match analysis last season (via The Chronicle):
“Botman at the back, 22, we’ve seen some good centre-backs in this league (but) he’s got the capabilities to be better than them. He’s a real leader of men – what a special player he is.”
With that being said, Botman’s imminent return will be warmly welcomed considering the congested period of festive fixtures ahead of them and one final push to qualify for the Champions League knock-out stages coming up too.
