Development: Newcastle given boost over injury return of £90,000-a-week ace

As they aim to continue their turnaround in form as of late, Newcastle United have been handed a much-needed boost on the injury front with one player taking a vital step towards his recovery after missing seven months of action.

Newcastle injury news

The Magpies are no strangers to injury problems, having opened their campaign with a list of absentees before the likes of Alexander Isak also suffered knocks. With Eddie Howe’s squad gradually reaching full fitness, however, the form of both his side and particularly Isak has come at a much-needed time in the last couple of weeks. The Swede has rediscovered his goalscoring boots to get both his and Newcastle’s season going again.

Given that Newcastle failed to welcome a number of reinforcements in the summer transfer window, getting the current version of Howe’s squad back to full fitness has to be the key to any success. Without European football this season too, the Magpies’ squad depth – or lack thereof – should not be as exposed as it was in the previous campaign.

What will certainly help those at St James’ Park, meanwhile, is the pending return of one particular player. As confirmed by Howe, Sven Botman is now back in Newcastle training in a vital step towards his recovery after missing the last seven months through an ACL injury.

Although a positive sign, Howe did admit that the Dutchman’s return will still take some time, telling reporters: “We hope Sven can begin light training in the next few weeks. If we see him before the end of the year, that would be a bonus. We are probably looking at more like January.”

A cautious update more than anything, Botman will only make his return when the time is right after missing several months.

“Excellent” Botman will ease need for January arrival

After spending almost the entirety of their summer on a failed pursuit of Marc Guehi, Newcastle found themselves in a concerning position and have since paid the price for a lack of depth within their backline. And whilst it would be easy to now panic in the January transfer window and make up for lost time, Botman should ease Newcastle’s centre-back struggles once and for all upon his return in the new year.

Howe will be a relieved man to his the Dutch defender on his way to a full recovery too, having previously been full of praise for his £90,000-a-week star. The Newcastle boss said via Chronicle Live after a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup at the end of 2022: “Sven Botman was excellent tonight – I thought that was his best game for us aerially. He was dominant against their strikers.

“His use of the ball this season has been excellent but he’s also come on a lot in other areas. It was a good night for him – and us.”

Getting closer and closer to full strength, Newcastle may yet have their eye on European qualification once again.