When Newcastle expect Sven Botman to return from injury, the ‘best-case scenario’ will excite fans

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Newcastle United fans do not have long to wait before Sven Botman is back in training and available for selection.

Centre-back has been a problem position for Newcastle United recently with long-term injuries to Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles leaving Eddie Howe short of options.

Newcastle wanted to strengthen their defence over the summer and pursued a £65m deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, but chose to walk away late into the window.

It has put huge pressure on the likes of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, who have been Howe’s preferred duo at the back this season.

Thankfully, Dan Burn has been superb this season and Schar is one of Newcastle’s most important players.

Sven Botman will be back in training soon

Botman has been a huge miss for Newcastle. He was quickly becoming one of the first names on Howe’s teamsheet before his ACL injury in March.

The 24-year-old’s talents cannot be understated. Sean Longstaff believes Botman is one of two world-class Newcastle players in the current squad with the midfielder ranking him even higher than captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Howe believes Newcastle are missing Botman in set pieces, with the towering Dutchman a threat in the opposition’s box just as much as he is a stalwart in his own.

Botman’s last appearance for Newcastle was in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester City on 16th March, but reports suggest he will soon be back in training.

According to The Athletic, Botman is set to return to light training soon after his long layoff.

The ‘best-case scenario’ for Sven Botman’s Newcastle return

In the same Athletic report, they claim there “have been some suggestions behind the scenes” that Botman could make his return to matchday squads in the coming weeks.

Howe recently spoke about Botman’s return date and said: “He’s hitting the right strength markers, he’s looking really good.”

The report continues to say that Howe has publicly stated the “best-case scenario” is the middle-to-end of December for his return, if not January. 

READ MORE: Alan Shearer makes worrying Sven Botman transfer claim as Newcastle PSR hint dropped

He pinpointed “Christmas time” as a potential return date for Botman, which would provide Newcastle a huge boost during the busy fixture list and the January transfer window.

Newcastle are set to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Boxing Day – that may be the first time Botman is seen back in the squad, or maybe even on the pitch.