In the wake of Sven Botman’s injury against Liverpool, EDDIE Howe feels it’s too soon to judge whether Newcastle would need to enter the transfer market this week for a center defender.
Howe later confirmed that Botman had injured his ankle when he hobbled off during the final minutes of the loss against Liverpool.
When asked if he might be persuaded to sign another central defender in the wake of the Botman setback, Howe responded, “We’ll have to wait and see, speak to the medical team and see how bad the injury is.” Howe had previously stated that the acquisition of Lewis Hall from Chelsea would be Newcastle’s final summer addition.
“I don’t know how bad it is at this point, but it appears to be an ankle issue.”
Howe decided not to include new hire Hall in the matchday squad for Liverpool’s visit because, in Howe’s words, “He’s trained with us but he’s not played a game during pre-season so he’s some way short of being match fit.”