Newcastle was struck by another devastating blow before the Carabao Cup final with Sven Botman for knee surgery, can reveal the Mail Sport.
The Dutch defender saw a specialist on Tuesday and he was informed that an operation was the best course of action.
The duration of Botman’s absence will be known in the coming days, but we will miss the date of Wembley against Liverpool on March 16 and beyond.
This means that Eddie Howe lost Botman, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall in the space of only a few days.
Gordon will be suspended for the final after his red card against Brighton on Sunday, while Hall was excluded for the season with a foot injury.
But the news on Botman is a major blow, since the central defender only returned from an LCA absence of 10 months in January.
Anthony Gordon (left) and Lewis Hall (right) will miss the final via suspension and injuries respectively
It is believed that this problem is on its opposite knee and there is hope that it is not such a serious problem.
He missed the last five games and Newcastle had believed that he was ready to come back in recent weeks. However, this week’s consultation revealed that surgery is necessary.
