Newcastle United’s defeat to Sunderland may have cost them more than just three points as Dan Burn faces a spell on the sidelines.
It was a miserable day on Wearside for Newcastle United, with a Nick Woltemade goal proving the difference between the two fierce rivals.
Finish this sentence, the worst thing about Newcastle United’s defeat to Sunderland was _
Having to hear about it until at least March, would be my answer!
However, while the rest of the players have a chance to make up for that soon, Dan Burn will be unable to put things right for quite some time.
Eddie Howe said Burn was struggling to breathe when he came off the pitch just before half-time, and reporters seem to think it could be at least a couple of weeks until the big defender is ready to play again.
Newcastle United need better depth at centre-back
Fabian Schar took over during the Tyne-Wear derby. He has been a loyal servant to Newcastle over the years and is a dependable head at the back, but the fact of the matter is, if the Magpies want to push on and become a top, top club, they need better.
The best clubs always thrive thanks to their squad depth; having the ability to interchange players at will and never letting the quality of the XI drop.
Arsenal are doing it right now, with the likes of Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori ready to step in and replace William Saliba and Gabriel. Man City are the same, with defensive rotations including John Stones, Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Josko Gvardiol.
For Newcastle, we’ve seen Malick Thiaw come in and instantly become the best centre-back at the club. Now, the club needs to go out and repeat the same trick in January. It’s no good just having adequate cover anymore; Newcastle need players who can actually compete with one another for a starting spot.
- READ MORE: Nick Woltemade enraged Anthony Gordon during Sunderland vs Newcastle, not just with his own goal
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Who are the options?
Eddie Howe said he wanted a new full-back and midfielder in January, but he may be thinking about signing a new centre-back now instead.
If he is to look for another top centre-back, there are a few names we know have been mentioned with regards to Newcastle of late.
Ousmane Diomande would be a great signing, for a start. The big Sporting Lisbon man may only be 22 but he’s played at the top level for club and country and looks ready for the next step in his career.
Axel Disasi was linked with Newcastle again last week. However, another BlueCo talent, Ismael Doukoure, would be my pick if Howe is looking for a young centre-half who can grow into an elite defender at the club.
Of course, a little closer to home there will always be rumours about Marc Guehi. We know Howe loves the Crystal Palace man and there’s no denying he would be perfect for Newcastle. Whether the Magpies can win that transfer battle or not is another matter, and Palace are unlikely to sell in January.
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