Newcastle United have several injury problems, including one star who has gone abroad to recover.
With nine games left in the Premier League season, Eddie Howe needs as many players as possible to give them a chance of securing Champions League football.
Newcastle United travel to Leicester City on Monday night for an important game after results elsewhere went their way. Chelsea and Manchester City both drew their games on Sunday, meaning the Magpies could move up to fifth in the Premier League table with a win.
However, Howe could be without some of his star players for the Foxes clash. Alexander Isak hurt his groin against Brentford, but Howe suggested that his injury should not be deemed as serious.
Anthony Gordon is a doubt for Newcastle after picking up a hip injury during international duty with England. The winger has severe bruising on his hip and has not trained with the first team as a result.
Elsewhere, Lewis Hall is out for the season, and the likes of Jamaal Lascelles are still recovering from an ACL injury he picked up in March 2024.
While Howe rallies the troops for the game at the King Power Stadium, another injured Newcastle player has been pictured in Dubai to continue his recovery.
Sven Botman confirms Dubai recovery excursion
Sven Botman only returned to Newcastle’s first-team squad in January, but has since picked up a knee problem which has kept him out since February.
Howe confirmed Botman faces eight weeks out, but the problem is not in the same knee which he damaged last season.
In a recent interview, Howe claimed Botman would be back before the end of the season, with a May return mooted by the Toon boss.
While the £35m defender recovers from his injury, Botman has confirmed via his Instagram story that he is in Dubai. The picture shows that Botman is back on the grass doing individual training at the NAS Sports Complex, where Arsenal once conducted a training camp.
The complex has seen another Newcastle player recover from injury there before. Kieran Trippier trained at the same venue last October while he recovered from a hamstring problem.
Sven Botman could play alongside a new defender at Newcastle United
At 25, Botman is set to be one of Newcastle’s longstanding centre-backs for the next few years at least. The Dutchman showed his quality during the 2022/23 campaign, but injuries have hampered his progress under Howe.
Fabian Schar signed a new deal with Newcastle last week, but the Magpies are still looking to sign a new defender in the summer transfer window with the options at centre-back growing older.
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Newcastle have four centre-back targets, including Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi. The 24-year-old missed out on a move to Tyneside last summer but the feeling is that Newcastle will try and sign the defender again this summer.
Guehi’s contract runs out at the end of next season, so sporting director Paul Mitchell should be able to sign him for much less than the £70m they were quoted last year.
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