Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has taken to his pre-match press conference to give an update on Sven Botman’s imminent return to the first team ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle will be hoping to continue their impressive form in the Premier League as they return to action tomorrow afternoon against Tottenham Hotspur, travelling to the capital for the early kick-off.
The Magpies are unbeaten in their last four league outings, scoring a whopping 13 goals in those fixtures with their most recent victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United on Monday night demonstrating the huge confidence in the squad at present.
They head to North London with an opportunity to put pressure on Chelsea for a spot inside the top four this weekend, however, Spurs will be in search of their first three-pointer after failing to win their last three league games, so it will be a huge challenge for Eddie Howe’s men away from home.
Eddie Howe will have to go into the game without their most experienced and trusted centre-back, as Fabian Schar will serve a two-match ban for accumulating too many bookings, but with every cloud there is a silver lining.
The long-anticipated return of Netherlands native Sven Botman could be on the cards against Spurs as the centre-back returned to the first-team squad at Old Trafford earlier this week, and the manager has taken to his pre-match press conference this morning to offer a positive insight.
Howe told the media:
“I’ve always said with Sven, he’d [be back] in and around the Christmas games.”
“He’s worked incredibly hard to get himself in a good condition. He’s had three games, a lot of internal training as well so some match stimulus so he’s certainly in and around my thoughts.”
“I’ll have to make a decision as to who I think best fits that position but great to have Sven in and around and available again.”
Will Sven Botman start against Spurs?
There is no doubt that Botman’s return will be a massively boost to the squad and the defensive performances on the pitch, as the centre-back was absolutely integral to Newcastle’s qualification for the Champions League in 2023.
His impact and influence over the second half of the season could be defining for the Magpies in their ambitions to earn European football, and the current form is putting them in a fantastic position to achieve that already.
It is unclear as to whether Howe will throw Botman straight back into the deep end tomorrow afternoon, but it would be likely that the Newcastle boss will look to avoid putting too much pressure on the defender, who is returning after 10 months out recovering from ACL surgery.
The last thing the manager will want to do is aggravate or disrupt any recovery, and will instead introduce him progressively, so it would come as no surprise to see him earn a few minutes against Spurs should an opportunity arise to bring him off the bench.
With that being said, it would be unlikely to see Botman in the starting line-up tomorrow despite Schar’s omission but there is no reason why he won’t now start being brought into performances to build up his match fitness ahead of the business end of the season.
