Sven Botman will not be available for Newcastle in the Carabao Cup match against Manchester United on Wednesday night, and Eddie Howe has acknowledged the possibility of an extended absence for their £35 million Dutch defender. Botman has been sidelined since injuring his knee during the 8-0 victory over Sheffield United in September. The Newcastle manager did not dismiss the idea that Botman’s absence could be long-term, stating, “Yeah, perhaps. There’s an issue we’re dealing with, and we’re exploring various options to determine the exact problem. We’re still waiting for a clear diagnosis on Sven’s condition.”
In addition to Botman’s absence, Newcastle is facing injury concerns with Alexander Isak, Harvey Barnes, and Jacob Murphy, while the £55 million Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali has received a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations. This situation has left Newcastle’s squad stretched.
The team is experiencing gaps in various positions, but the most pressing issue is in attack. Isak and Callum Wilson are the only specialist center-forwards available to Howe. However, Wilson’s injury history necessitates careful management of his playing time. It is highly likely that Wilson will be rested at Old Trafford. In his absence, Howe may deploy winger Anthony Gordon in a central attacking role or consider moving Joelinton forward from midfield to his former position. Newcastle is eager to seek revenge for last season’s League Cup final defeat by Manchester United.
Howe, whose transfer market actions are constrained by the requirement to comply with financial fair play regulations, stated, “We just didn’t have the resources to sign a third striker in the summer.”
The manager of Newcastle stated that he was unable to speak about Tonali because the team is still awaiting word from FIFA regarding the specifics of the midfielder’s suspension.
