Sven Botman’s return from injury for Newcastle United was a timely one.
While Botman didn’t get on the pitch for Newcastle United during their win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, merely having him back in the squad was a major boost.
There can be little doubting the Dutchman’s quality when he’s fully fit but, sadly, Newcastle fans just haven’t seen it often enough.
Who was your MOTM against Crystal Palace?!
THREE CRUCIAL POINTS 😍
The 25-year-old had missed the last nine games across all competitions with a back injury but finally made his return on Sunday.
Botman formed part of a triple boost for Eddie Howe, with Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier also back in the squad.
After the game, the defender sent a message to supporters.
Sven Botman delighted to be back from injury for Newcastle United
It’s brilliant to have Botman back in the squad.
Howe believes Botman can improve Newcastle, both because of his quality and his leadership.
Though Fabian Schar and Malick Thiaw have done very well in his absence, the former cannot be expected to play every week.
With Dan Burn out injured too, being able to call on Botman is a welcome relief for Howe ahead of what he has described as a “season-defining” run of games throughout January.
After Newcastle beat Crystal Palace, Botman uploaded a story of his shirt in the dressing room on his Instagram stories page, captioned: “Good to be back. Let’s push together.”
Will Newcastle United ever see the best of Sven Botman again or would you sell him?
Eddie Howe confirms Sven Botman injury latest after Newcastle United return
Newcastle hope Botman and Thiaw will be at the club for years and that’s certainly easy to understand.
Still, much will depend on the Dutchman’s fitness. He just hasn’t been able to stay fit for any great deal of time for what feels like an age now.
Having him back can only be a positive, but that doesn’t mean Howe will be rushing into things.
When speaking in his post-match press conference, Howe urged caution when it comes to the likes of Trippier and Botman over the coming games.
“If we needed to turn to Sven and Kieran’s experience, we could do that,” he said.
“Now, they’ve had one or two days’ training, very minimal time back on the training pitch, so we’ve got to be careful with them and manage them correctly.”
Those hoping to see him thrust back into action may need to wait a little longer.
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