‘Excellent’ Newcastle player appears to miss training ahead of Arsenal

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Newcastle United have released a selection of training photos ahead of Sunday’s massive game against Arsenal, and Sven Botman is nowhere to be seen.

Botman has been a mainstay in the Newcastle defence this season, starting 30 of the Magpies’ 33 games.

It has proven to be an incredible debut year for the Dutchman, who arrived for £35million from Lille last summer. He has formed an exceptional partnership with Fabian Schar, who described the 23-year-old as ‘excellent‘ back in February.

Eddie Howe has relied heavily on a consistent back four, with Newcastle boasting the Premier League’s meanest defence.

However, the latest training photos cast doubt over Botman’s availability ahead of Sunday’s game at St James’ Park. He does not appear in any of the 25 photos that have been uploaded to the club’s official website.

That does not necessarily mean he will unavailable for the Arsenal game. There have been plenty of instances this season where players have not been spotted in training, only to start the Magpies’ next game.

However, it is certainly a concern going into the weekend.

Who could replace Sven Botman if he is unavailable for Newcastle vs Arsenal

If Botman is missing, it will create an opportunity for Matt Targett. That is because Howe will have to move Dan Burn inside, where he would get the chance to rekindle his centre-back partnership with Schar that served Newcastle so well last season.

There would therefore be an opening at left-back, which would almost certainly go to Targett. Alternatively, Howe could opt to give Jamal Lewis or Paul Dummett their first Premier League starts of the season.

However, Targett would be the most likely candidate to come into the side. He started his first league game since September against Everton last week, and performed well. Howe was happy with what he saw from the 27-year-old, who returned to the bench against Southampton.

Hopefully there is no reason to panic, and Botman is fit to face Arsenal. But if not, he has an excellent backup option.