Sven Botman Newcastle United injury situation getting 'desperate' ahead of West Ham & Liverpool
Newcastle United defender Sven Botman was ruled out for a fifth successive match due to a knee injury.
Botman picked up a knee issue in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal last month. It was initially described as a minor problem but the defender has now missed a month of football for Newcastle.
It comes after Botman spent 10 months on the sidelines recovering from an ACL injury before returning in January. The 25-year-old started both semi-final legs against Arsenal as well as three Premier League matches before succumbing to another knee injury.
While the severity of the injury has continually been played down by head coach Eddie Howe, Botman’s history of knee injuries does cause some concern ahead of the Carabao Cup final.
Botman missed the majority of last season after suffering two ACL injuries, the second of which ruled him out for the first half of last season. The Dutch defender has missed a total of 56 games for Newcastle since the start of the 2023-24 season due to injury.
But the message from Howe is that Botman remains ‘close’ to a return but is not quite 100% fit. It is hoped the eight-day gap between Brighton and the upcoming Premier League trip to West Ham will be enough to get the defender back in contention ahead of the all-important Carabao Cup final.
Sven Botman ‘not risked’ against Brighton
While Alexander Isak and Joelinton returned after injury absences, Botman wasn’t part of the squad to face Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Providing an update on the defender, Howe said: “Sven was close, did light training [on Saturday], but didn't feel 100% confident in his body, so we decided not to risk him [v Brighton].
“We still hope that he can play a part either in our next game or the game after. Desperate to get him back fit, such a big player, but again we couldn't take a risk with him if he wasn't 100% fit.”
Newcastle United injury/absentee list
In addition to Botman, Newcastle also have several concerns heading into the crucial upcoming matches against West Ham and Liverpool.
Kieran Trippier and Alexander Isak went off with issues against Brighton though neither is thought to be serious. Tino Livramento was also suffering from cramp in extra time but remained on the pitch.
“I don't think there's a problem there,” Howe said about Isak. “But as I said before the game, if he was fit he would play today, knowing the importance of today's game and fingers crossed he's okay.”
“Kieran felt his back, so there was navigating a lot of problems through that game, which we hope don't have long-term consequences for us because we've got such a small squad.
“[Livramento] was cramp more than an injury, so I think he was limited.”
Lewis Hall missed the match with an ankle injury and has been for a scan and specialist consultation. He is officially a doubt for the Carabao Cup final with no return date set at this stage.
Jamaal Lascelles will be sidelined for the final as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury after some setbacks while Anthony Gordon will be suspended following his red card against Brighton on Sunday.
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