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Eddie Howe has declared Sven Botman ‘available’ for selection for Newcastle United against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday (12:30pm kick-off).

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Botman has been out for over nine months following an ACL injury picked up in March. But he was back in full training throughout December, barring a minor illness, and has played in a couple of practice matches as well as 60 minutes for Newcastle Under-21s.

With Fabian Schar banned for the fourth match this season following his yellow card against Manchester United, Howe will be forced to make changes to his defence at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Schar was handed a three-match ban following a red card earlier in the season and will now miss the next two matches against Spurs and Arsenal due to separate Premier League and Carabao Cup bans.

Botman missed out on a place in the squad for the 2-0 win at Manchester United last time out as he was nursing an illness.

On Botman’s potential return, Howe said: “I've always said with Sven, he'd [be back] in and around the Christmas games.

“He's worked incredibly hard to get himself in a good condition. He's had three games, a lot of internal training as well so some match stimulus so he's certainly in and around my thoughts.

“I'll have to make a decision as to who I think best fits that position but great to have Sven in and around and available again.”

When asked if he would have reservations about putting Botman back into the side after such a long period without playing, Howe responded: “No, because you go through a process with the type of injury Sven's had, he's done and incredible amount of work.

“It's not like he's not had the training time with us, we've taken longer than maybe we normally would have done through respect for the injury that he had to try and make sure he had the best chance of staying fit and when he comes back, hitting the ground running which is absolutely vital.

“I've got a decision to make in terms of team selection but if Sven is in the squad it's because he's fit and available.”

Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles remain out injured, meaning only Botman and summer signing Lloyd Kelly are Newcastle’s only two natural centre-back options to play alongside Dan Burn in Schar’s absence.

But Kelly hasn’t featured for Newcastle since the 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United in November. Kelly came into the side in place of the suspended Burn but had a match to forget at St James’ Park.

“They have [been limited] but that's down to the form of the lads that have played,” Howe said in response to Kelly’s opportunities in the side. “Lloyd is a versatile player who can play in a number of positions.

“The form of Dan and Fabian at the heart of defence has been really good of late so that's always a position that is diffiuclt for me to rotate too much.

“I prefer to keep a settled back four and not chop and change. The stability of your team is built on those relationships but Lloyd is training hard and training well and he's waiting for his chance.”

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Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe will be forced to make changes to his side for Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur (12:30pm kick-off).

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Newcastle will be eyeing a sixth successive win in all competitions when they travel to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League without key defender Fabian Schar. The Swiss centre-back was shown his fifth league booking of the season in the closing stages of the 2-0 win at Manchester United on Monday.

As a result he must serve a one-match suspension. He will also miss the first leg of the Carabao Cup at Arsenal due to a suspension in that competition. After his red card on the opening day against Southampton, Schar has now been suspended for five matches in total this season but remains the most-used player since Howe’s arrival at the club in 2021.

Emil Krafth previously came into the side in Schar’s absence at the start of the season but will be unavailable for the upcoming matches due to a broken collarbone. The versatile Swede has already been ruled out for 10 games in total for Newcastle having suffered his injury back in November.

It is likely he will miss at least two more matches, according to Howe. But Newcastle are set to be boosted by the return of Sven Botman this month after more than nine months out with an ACL injury.

Botman returned to action for Newcastle Under-21s last month and is in contention for selection in the upcoming matches.

“Sven will be in and around my thinking [for selection] for sure, as will a few other players. Emil Krafth won't make it back in time for the next game, but apart from that we should have everyone available."

But with Botman going so long without competitive football for Newcastle, Howe would ideally ease the defender back in if possible. The FA Cup third round tie at home to Bromley later this month has been pencilled in as an ideal match for the 24-year-old to get some good minutes under his belt.

Summer signing Lloyd Kelly is the most likely option to come into the side as he has remained part of the matchday squad over the festive period despite not getting on the pitch. His last appearance for the club came in the 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United back in November.

Eddie Howe’s side head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having won five matches in a row in all competitions. They sit 5th in the Premier League table and know a win would draw them level on points, albeit temporarily, with Chelsea sat above them.

However, they have a patchy record away against Spurs of late, having been beaten on two of their last three visits there by an aggregate score of 9-2. However, sandwiched in between those defeats was a 2-1 win in October 2022.

The Magpies are in good form at the minute, whilst their hosts on Saturday have won just one of their last seven league games. Ange Postecoglou’s side were held by Wolves on Sunday and have a host of injury issues to deal with this weekend.

Spurs will certainly be without their first-choice goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario and have huge doubts over both Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven. Rodrigo Bentancur will also miss out through suspension.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, will be without Fabian Schar as he serves a one-match suspension for picking up five yellow cards in the league. Here, we take a look at the team that Howe could name for his side’s clash against Spurs on Saturday.

Do you agree with our picks? Follow us on our social media channels and let us know your thoughts there.

The Magpies head to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in great form and will be confident of continuing that momentum against a Spurs side that have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches. Postecoglou’s squad has been decimated by injury issues with his options further depleted following their draw against Wolves on Sunday night.

Spurs will be without Rodrigo Bentancur through suspension whilst five others will also certainly miss the visit of Newcastle United. The Magpies, meanwhile, will be without Fabian Schar after he picked up a fifth Premier League booking of the season during their win at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Newcastle suffered a heavy defeat on their last visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just over 12 months ago, but have won back-to-back matches against Postecoglou’s side since that match. Here, we take a look at injury and suspension news from both camps ahead of Newcastle United’s trip to face Tottenham Hotspur:

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Newcastle United face Tottenham Hotspur this weekend aiming for six victories on the spin.

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Eddie Howe’s side comfortably defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday night courtesy of two early strikes from Alexander Isak and Joelinton. It was an almost perfect night at the Theatre of Dreams, barring a suspension for Fabian Schar who will not be able to feature this weekend and an injury to Kieran Trippier which forced him off the field.

Here, we take a look at all the latest Newcastle United injury and suspension news ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur:

Jamaal Lascelles - ACL injury

Lascelles has been sidelined since March after picking up an ACL injury. He remains the club’s captain and a very important figure within the squad, despite his injury. Lascelles is slowly returning to fitness but remains a few weeks away from being available for selection. Estimated return date = Nottingham Forest (h) - 23/02/25

Sven Botman - ACL injury

Botman has had a couple of training matches and a run-out with the Under-21’s in recent times as he enters the final stages of his recovery from an ACL injury. Seeing the Dutchman back in the first-team will be a huge boost for Howe and one that has been eagerly-anticipated for nine months.

Whilst Botman will likely not be thrown straight into the starting XI, injuries and suspension in defence may mean he is part of the matchday squad that travels to north London at the weekend. Estimated return date = Tottenham Hotspur (a) - 04/01/25

Emil Krafth - broken collarbone

Krafth broke his collarbone in November and has been out of action ever since. He has returned to light training and could be available for selection in the not too distant future. Estimated return date = Bromley (h) - 12/01/25

Callum Wilson - hamstring injury

Wilson has suffered a fresh setback and will be out of action for the next couple of months. Wilson is likely to miss all of January with a return in February/March most likely for the striker. Estimated return date = Manchester City (a) - 15/02/25

Nick Pope - knee injury

Pope suffered a knee injury during their defeat to Brentford last month and has not been seen in action since. Howe has admitted that Pope’s injury is a ‘difficult’ one to put a timescale on. Howe said: “He’s doing okay.

“He was given a time frame initially where he got to rest and a couple of injections and his knee was feeling better. Quite when he’ll be fit is still a difficult one.” Estimated return date = Wolves (h) - 15/01/25

Fabian Schar - suspended

Schar was shown his fifth Premier League yellow card of the season against Manchester United and will be suspended for the trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Schar will also miss the first-leg of their semi-final against Arsenal due to a separate Carabao Cup suspension. Estimated return date = Bromley (h) - 12/01/25

Kieran Trippier - leg injury

Trippier was withdrawn during the second-half of their win over the Red Devils on Monday night after suffering a leg injury. Hopefully he is available to face his former club. Estimated return date = Tottenham Hotspur (a) - 04/01/25

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Tottenham Hotspur will be without Rodrigo Bentancur for Saturday’s match against Newcastle United (12:30pm kick-off).

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Bentancur was shown his fifth yellow card of the season during the 2-2 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. The 27-year-old scored in the match having only recently returned from a seven-match suspension.

The Football Association handed Bentancur an extended suspension for breaching FA Rule E3 in relation to a media interview in which he suggested his Spurs teammate Son Heung Min and all South Korean people ‘look the same’.

On Canal 10, Bentancur was asked to display the shirt of a Spurs player, to which he replied (translated from Spanish): “Sonny’s? It could be Sonny’s cousin too as they all look the same.”

The 27-year-old quickly apologised and admitted it was ‘a very bad joke’. Bentancur’s apology was seemingly accepted by Son, who expressed his ‘love’ for the midfielder.

“I love him, I love him, there is no problem,” Son said when asked about Bentancur during a press conference.

Bentancur appealed the decision but it was dismissed following a hearing.

He returned from his suspension against Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day but has now been hit with a fresh one-match suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the final match before the booking limit moved to 10. Bentancur, who came on as a late substitute and was booked during Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at Newcastle back in September, will now miss the reverse fixture.

Spurs head into the match having won just one of their last seven Premier League matches.

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Newcastle United will be without Fabian Schar for the next two matches as Eddie Howe faces a defensive selection decision.

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Schar was shown his fifth yellow card of the Premier League season in the closing stages of Newcastle’s 2-0 win at Manchester United and will now miss Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur (12:30pm kick-off). Schar is also suspended for the Carabao Cup first leg at Arsenal next week having picked up his second booking in the competition in the quarter-final against Brentford.

Bruno Guimaraes is also banned for the trip to the Emirates Stadium.

Now Howe faces a decision regarding which player will replace Schar in the starting line-up for the trips to Spurs and Arsenal. The Swiss centre-back has started more games than any other Newcastle player under Howe and has four goals to his name already this season.

Lloyd Kelly is available for selection but hasn’t featured since the 2-0 defeat to West Ham United in December. Sven Botman is also back in full training but hasn’t played a first-team match since March following an ACL injury.

The 24-year-old has also suffered a minor setback in his planned return to playing after suffering with illness heading into 2025.

"He's getting there,” Howe said on Botman. “He's had a period of training which we knew he needed.

“He's had a little bit of illness in the last few days. Hopefully he'll get over that pretty quickly. We have depth in the squad that can cover any absentee and hopefully that's the case with Fabi."

Elsewhere in Newcastle’s defence, Jamaal Lascelles remains out with an ACL injury while Emil Krafth is sidelined with a broken collarbone. While Botman has a chance of returning against Spurs or Arsenal, the matches will come too soon for Krafth.

"Yes, Sven will be in and around my thinking for sure, as will a few other players,” Howe added. “Emil Krafth won't make it back in time for the next game, but apart from that we should have everyone available.

“Not just Sven Botman, but Lloyd Kelly and other defenders are waiting for their opportunities.

"That's what, at the moment, I think when you look at the bench, there are players waiting to play and to show their qualities."

Eddie Howe and Newcastle United are carrying real momentum into 2025 beating Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford on Monday.

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Alexander Isak and Joelinton scored as Newcastle claimed a fifth straight win to end 2024 on a high and head into the new year sitting fifth in the table at the midway point in the campaign.

Despite another impressive display from his side, Howe’s focus quickly moves on to the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

“I don't know about the win being a statement but for us we knew that we have to try to keep building on the momentum that we had built in recent weeks,” Howe said. “We have had a really good look about us, a strong, confident team and I am happy we were able to continue that at a ground that hasn't been kind to Newcastle over the years. It is a big win psychologically.

“The direction of travel is to Tottenham now. We have a run of tough away games with Arsenal after that. We will try to enjoy them and approach them in the same way that we approached this one.

"Time will tell. We have to prove everything. There is the talent in the squad to match that one [the team that qualified for the Champions League] but we have to get the points.”

Newcastle head into January with the expectation of a quiet transfer window both in terms of incomings and outgoings. And Howe has once again stressed his desire to keep his squad together amid an impressive run of form.

"The first thing is to keep the players that we have [in the transfer window],” Howe told Sky Sports. “We have a good balance to the team and the squad and we don't want to lose anyone. We have people fighting for places and we don't want to disturb that."

Newcastle will have to make changes defensively for their upcoming matches against Spurs and Arsenal with Fabian Schar suspended for both matches due to the yellow cards he has accumulated. Lloyd Kelly is poised to come into the side while Sven Botman is closing in on a return after nine months out.

"We will have to shuffle things with Fabian [Schar]’s suspension but I am hoping that we will still find a way to defend well."

Eddie Howe has been handed a major blow ahead of his side’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

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The Magpies head to the capital for a Saturday lunchtime kick-off, however, they will have to play that match without the services of Fabian Schar after he picked up a booking during the clash with Aston Villa on Boxing Day.

Schar came into the game having been shown four Premier League bookings and was handed his fifth in the 81st minute by Simon Hooper at Old Trafford. That booking means he will not feature at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will have over a week off before Newcastle’s trip to face Arsenal on Tuesday 7 January.

Schar becomes the third Newcastle United player to serve a one-match ban for being shown five Premier League yellow cards this season with Dan Burn and Joelinton already having sat out games against West Ham and Ipswich Town.

Schar will also miss the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal three days after that game after picking up a second yellow card in that competition during their win over Brentford earlier this month. Bruno Guimaraes will also not play in that game.

The threshold for an automatic one-match ban for five yellow cards has now passed, meaning no Newcastle United player will get suspended for accumulating five yellow cards between now and the rest of the campaign. That threshold is then raised to ten bookings before the end of 32 matches whereupon a two-match ban is handed down.

Sandro Tonali, who was on four yellow cards ahead of the trip to Old Trafford, will not face a ban the next time he is booked.

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The latest transfer talk from St James Park as Newcastle United prepare for the January transfer window.

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Newcastle United have been linked with a move that has been described as one of Ligue 1’s ‘surprise packages’ so far this season - and reports have suggested the Magpies have already been told how much his current club will demand before they will authorise a sale.

The Magpies are believed to be keen to add to their defensive ranks during the January transfer window as a number of decisions lie in wait over several current members of Eddie Howe’s squad. United have taken up an option to extend Dan Burn’s contract until the end of next season and he will continue to compete with Sven Botman for a place in Howe’s side when the Dutch centre-back returns from a long-term knee injury later this month. However, fellow defenders Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar are out of contract at the end of the season and, as it stands, will leave St James Park next summer.

Lascelles is still making his way back from a knee injury that will keep him on the sidelines until late January - but Schar has continued to play a key role in Howe’s side and the Magpies manager has already indicated he would like to ensure the Swiss star’s time on Tyneside is extended by at least another season.

Speaking last week, Howe said: “With Fabian, just speaking from my behalf, he's been incredible for me. I have to say he has been absolutely sensational with some of the performances he's delivered. He's an integral part of what we're doing. His use of the ball is well known, his technical qualities and defensively he's been very strong for us. Yes, he's an important player and we'd love to keep him.”

The possibility of adding another defender to the Magpies squad in January remains a possibility and there have been links with the likes of Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and Atalanta centre-back Giorgio Scalvini in recent weeks. The Telegraph have reported Lens youngster Abdukodir Khusanov is the latest name to be reported as a Magpies target after the 16-times capped Uzbekistan international impressed for the Ligue 1 club after joining them in a cut-price deal from Energetik during the summer of 2023. After making 15 appearances in all competitions during his first season in France, the 20-year-old has already made 13 appearances during the current campaign as his side sit on the fringes of the battle for a place in European competition.

The report suggests Tottenham Hotspur have also watched the young centre-back in action this season and revealed Lens will demand a fee of around £25m before they will consider the sale of one of their prize assets.