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Newcastle United have been dealt a double defensive injury blow this week with Sven Botman and Lewis Hall set to undergo surgery.
With Jamaal Lascelles also sidelined and the club loaning Lloyd Kelly to Juventus in the winter transfer window, what was previously thought to be a well-stocked area of Newcastle’s squad is now looking quite thin heading into some crucial games.
Botman has only played five games for Newcastle this season due to knee injury problems and now faces an extended spell on the sidelines following surgery. Hall will miss the rest of the season following surgery on his foot.
Newcastle travel to the London Stadium to face West Ham United in the Premier League on Monday evening before returning to the capital to face Liverpool at Wembley Stadium in the Carabao Cup final.
Who replaces Lewis Hall in the Newcastle United squad?
Due to the lack of options and the fact he has filled in for Botman for the majority of the season already, Dan Burn will likely keep his place in the side at left centre-back. But there is much more competition in the left-back position.
Tino Livramento appears to be Eddie Howe’s first choice to come in given the England international was selected to start at left-back against Brighton on Sunday in Hall’s absence. Matt Targett, Burn, Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth have also played in that position under Howe.
Aside from academy players, there’s also an emergency option that could become available to Howe later in the season. Jamal Lewis was a surprise inclusion in Newcastle’s official Premier League squad for the second half of the 2024-25 campaign following his recall from a loan spell at Sao Paulo.
Lewis’ spell in Brazil was cut short after the left-back required surgery on an ankle injury in late 2024. The 27-year-old a deal lined-up to join Sao Paulo on a free transfer in the summer but the Brazilian club ultimately turned down that opportunity with his loan spell being cut short after just six appearances.
He will become a free agent when his Newcastle contract expires in June. But there is a small chance he could feature again for Newcastle after being named in their squad for the second half of the campaign.
Eddie Howe explains Jamal Lewis’ squad inclusion
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe has already played down Lewis’ chances of featuring for the first time this season, suggesting his inclusion in the squad was ‘a formality’.
“Jamal's currently injured and receiving treatment, but he's not receiving treatment here,” Howe told The Gazette. “I think that was something we had to do as a formality, really.”
Newcastle selling Miguel Almiron and loaning Lloyd Kelly during the winter transfer window meant there were two senior squad places left vacant. Lewis, as a contracted player, filled one of those places by default.
14 weeks after surgery, Lewis is still continuing his injury rehabilitation and hasn’t trained at Newcastle since his return to England. But he is back on the grass training individually and closing in on a return to fitness - whether that will be enough to put him in Howe’s thoughts remains to be seen.
Since joining The Magpies from Norwich City for £15million in 2020, Lewis has made 36 appearances for the club in all competitions. His injury and expiring contract mean he is likely to have already played his last game for the club.
But a lack of natural left-backs available in Newcastle’s squad has certainly not harmed Lewis’ chances of a shock comeback.
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