Newcastle United's center-back woes continue as star defender expected to return late

Newcastle United have made a significant start to their 2024/25 campaign, going unbeaten before the first international break of the season. Managing 3 wins and 1 draw, Eddie Howe's side has established themselves at the 5th position in the Premier League, alongside making advancement to the 3rd round of the Carabao Cup.

Newcastle United's center-back woes continue as star defender expected to return late

However, even though the club has had good results from the fixtures, Howe's side has failed to put on a dominating show, as pointed out by club legend Alan Shearer. While the unit has looked good defensively, they certainly need to improve in their forward plays, maintaining control over the game. And in such a scenario, the recent update on their star defender's injury wouldn't find well in the club's interest.

According to recent reports from The Mail's journalist Craig Hope, ‘hope has faded’ that Botman will be back soon. The reports indicate that even at the earliest, there stands negligible to no chance of the 24-year-old making a return in the next month or two. Currently, Botman stands a significant chance to return in early December if things go as expected.

Not to forget, the Dutch defender got caught up in an ACL injury in late March, and his absence has been felt regularly at the club. Even though it seems that the center-back has made remarkable progress in his injury recovery, Newcastle's performance director James Bunce isn't willing to rush the player's comeback on the field. Having witnessed the fate of early returns of some players on injury last season, Bunce wouldn't take a risk in the club's favor.

Analyzing from Newcastle's perspective, Botman's late-expected return leaves the club with only a few viable options for the role. Even though the Magpies club has been rock-solid in defensive play, it has been mostly on the part of their star goalkeeper Nick Pope, with a few brilliant displays from Tino Livramento. And in such a scenario, Botman's absence would be significantly felt at the heart of Newcastle's defense.

Overall, Newcastle United has faced a crucial setback, receiving the update on Botman's delayed return. In the long season ahead, it remains to be seen how Eddie Howe utilizes the available players to the club's success until Botman returns.