Newcastle United are not going to be without Sven Botman for much longer.
The Dutch defender has not played for Newcastle United since March, after undergoing surgery on an ACL injury. It was the second that he had suffered that season, as Sven Botman endured a rotten 2023/24 campaign.
Botman chose not to have surgery on the first injury, but was never quite the same player when he returned to fitness. When the second injury happened, he had no choice but to go under the knife.
Newcastle have really missed Botman, but there have been recent signs of a looming return. Botman has been spotted in Newcastle training, and now Eddie Howe has provided an update on the 24-year-old’s current status.
Sven Botman of Newcastle United (4) arrives for the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion at St. James Park ...
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Eddie Howe’s injury update on Sven Botman
Ahead of Newcastle United’s Premier League clash with Brentford, Howe has spoken to the media.
He has provided an update on Sven Botman, who will not be available for the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium. However, it will not be too long before he is fit enough to feature.
“He is doing well, the initial moments in training were passive but now he is fully training,” he said.
“He is looking good in the 11v11s, he is still a few weeks off from playing competitively but he is looking good.
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“It has been a big boost to have him training, he is a big guy and a big presence and we missed him.”
Sven Botman news puts Newcastle player under pressure
Newcastle United fans will be buzzing to hear the news that Botman is back in full training. He has been a big miss, but a return is not too far away now.
Of course, Newcastle will want to be careful with the centre-back, who has been absent for almost nine months.
But in a few weeks, Botman could be ready to play competitively for Newcastle, which is a massive boost ahead of the second half of the season.
However, it does put one Toon player under pressure – Dan Burn. In Botman’s absence, the Geordie giant has played at centre-back. He has been outstanding, with Howe praising Burn’s recent performance against Crystal Palace.
The 32-year-old has looked much more comfortable at centre-back, while Lloyd Kelly has not truly threatened his place in the starting XI.
But Botman will do that, as he aims to get back to the level he was at during his debut year at St James’ Park. It is easy to forget how good he was, with Sean Longstaff describing Botman as world class.
If he can get back to that level, Burn’s place in the starting XI could be under threat. However, that will not be for at least a few weeks, with Botman only just returning to full training.
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