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Newcastle’s “dominant” star closes in on return

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Image for Newcastle’s “dominant” star closes in on return

Newcastle United defender Sven Botman was back in training with his teammates this week and Eddie Howe has given an update on his likely return.

The Magpies return to action in the Premier League today with a trip to Selhurst Park and Eddie Howe will be desperate to get his squad back on track after a disappointing defeat.

Newcastle lost 2-0 to West Ham at St James’ Park on Monday night which saw them fall into 10th in the Premier League, the performance was a testament to the inconsistencies seen throughout the season so far.

With a tally of five wins, four losses and three draws over the campaign so far, it is fair to say that there has been a certain amount of unpredictability on what the supporters can expect from each fixture, but with victories over Arsenal and further progression in the Carabao Cup after knocking out Chelsea, it has kept Howe in good favour.

Indeed, just like last season, Newcastle have not been without injuries to key players in their squad with Callum Wilson only making his first appearance on Monday evening and superstar defender Sven Botman still recovering from his ACL surgery, so the North East giants have not been able to field their best starting eleven yet.

However, a huge boost has been revealed this week as Botman returned to training with his teammates in images shared by the club, which is extremely promising signs for the second half of the season.

The Newcastle boss also took to his pre-match press conference ahead of the Crystal Palace clash to give more insight into an expected return date for the Dutchman:

“We hope Sven can begin light training in the next few weeks. If we see him before the end of the year, that would be a bonus. We are probably looking at more like January.”

When will Sven Botman return?

There is no doubt that Botman’s return will be warmly welcomed at St James’ Park with the defender being out of action since April and unavailable for selection for eight months.

The 24-year-old – once hailed “dominant” by Howe – was a revelation when he signed for the Tyneside outfit back in July 2022, committing himself to a five-year deal.

After striking up a formidable centre-back partnership with Fabian Schar upon his arrival, he quickly became one of the most talked about players in the Premier League, with Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher putting the Netherlands native in his team of the year back in 2023.

Botman’s instant impact for Newcastle helped them become Champions League contenders once again with a top four finish and were the second best defensive team in the entire Premier League over the 2022/23 campaign, so understandably his return is desperately wanted.

A return for the talented centre-back in January would put the Geordies in an extremely strong position to compete for a place in European football next season, especially if he can resume his role with the same tenacity and influence as he has done before the injury.

With that being said, there is a lot to look forward to for Newcastle fans in the turn of the year, with the potential of attacking the January transfer market with intention and having one of their most important and influential players back in action.

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