Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has expressed concern over his side's defensive options after Tino Livramento suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out of action for up to two months.
Livramento, 23, was forced off in Newcastle's dramatic penalty shootout win against Bournemouth in the FA Cup on Saturday, leaving Howe's team "really stretched" defensively. The defender's absence has further reduced the squad's depth at a time when several key players are already out injured.
Howe believes that Dan Burn, who suffered a broken rib and punctured lung during Newcastle's last match, could be back before the end of the month, while the option to recall left-back Matt Targett from his loan spell at Middlesbrough remains on the table. However, with only two-and-a-half weeks left for the club to recruit in the transfer window, Howe has raised questions over whether Newcastle can find the right player to strengthen their defensive options in the mid-season market.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Newcastle have money to spend if needed, but any moves would impact what they can do this summer. Howe's team face a crucial stretch of fixtures between now and March, with trips to Wolves, PSV, Aston Villa, Paris St-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Brentford, and Tottenham on the horizon.
For now, Newcastle will have to rely on Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, Kieran Trippier, and midfielder Lewis Miley to fill out their backline. While these players have shown promise, the absence of Livramento and Burn will undoubtedly be felt in the coming weeks.
Livramento, 23, was forced off in Newcastle's dramatic penalty shootout win against Bournemouth in the FA Cup on Saturday, leaving Howe's team "really stretched" defensively. The defender's absence has further reduced the squad's depth at a time when several key players are already out injured.
Howe believes that Dan Burn, who suffered a broken rib and punctured lung during Newcastle's last match, could be back before the end of the month, while the option to recall left-back Matt Targett from his loan spell at Middlesbrough remains on the table. However, with only two-and-a-half weeks left for the club to recruit in the transfer window, Howe has raised questions over whether Newcastle can find the right player to strengthen their defensive options in the mid-season market.
The situation is further complicated by the fact that Newcastle have money to spend if needed, but any moves would impact what they can do this summer. Howe's team face a crucial stretch of fixtures between now and March, with trips to Wolves, PSV, Aston Villa, Paris St-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Brentford, and Tottenham on the horizon.
For now, Newcastle will have to rely on Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, Kieran Trippier, and midfielder Lewis Miley to fill out their backline. While these players have shown promise, the absence of Livramento and Burn will undoubtedly be felt in the coming weeks.
this is really bad luck for newcastle they were doing so well and now tino livramento goes down with a hamstring injury 
two months is gonna feel like an eternity for them especially with all these big games coming up 
psv and PSG are massive matches for them and i'm worried about how they're gonna cope without their best defenders
... but at the same time, maybe they just need to rotate some players and give livramento and burn more time to recover? idk man, it's all so confusing 
...
... but on the other hand, if they don't sign someone now, they'll get caught short and it could cost them in the long run 
...
... but idk man, my money's on them not making it happen 
Defensively, Newcastle's gonna struggle with that injury to Livramento 
. They need someone solid ASAP or it'll be tough come March 
. The loan spell for Targett is an option but what if no one steps up? 
... but a few more bodies would give 'em some breathing room 
️.
. With that fixture list coming up, it's gonna be interesting to see how it all unfolds 
has anyone got any suggestions? 
. And now Tino Livramento goes down and you're left wondering if Dan Burn can even make it back before the end of the month? That's just not enough, in my opinion 
. They need to make a move NOW if they wanna stay in this competition or else it'll be lights out 
. The question is, are they willing to spend the cash and risk it all come summer? Only time will tell 
! Sounds like Newcastle's backline is having a real identity crisis... or should I say, defensive crisis? 
Can Eddie Howe and co. really salvage this season, or are they just throwing themselves into the lion's den for the sake of it? 
. Can't they just sort out the Newcastle thread already? It's been a mess since that injury to Tino Livramento. Now we're stuck reading about Eddie Howe's concerns over their defense... 
I'm trying to stay updated on the Premier League, but this forum is just getting in the way. Can someone please just summarize the situation so I can move on? 
️. If they don't sign someone soon, it'll be a disaster... the fixtures coming up are huge 
Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall - I get that they're promising players, but I still worry about the squad depth. The fact that Howe is considering loaning out Targett is interesting... maybe it's a stopgap solution, who knows? 
️ what if they cant find anyone good enough? 
it's like they're gettin' played by time and circumstance 
... But I guess that's progress for ya, eh?
. anyway, back to football... i feel for eddie howe, gotta find a way to shore up those defenses! have u ever played any decent footy games?