Newcastle United supporters were devastated to hear that Sven Botman could miss the next nine months due to an ACL injury.
The Dutch defender is a key part of this team his absence will be a huge blow both this season and next, and now Newcastle have to be very careful with those replacing him.
Fabian Schar will have to take on more responsibility in the coming weeks, and his recent change in role for Switzerland will be pleasing news for Newcastle who don’t want a repeat of the Botman situation.
Newcastle must protect Schar these next few months
Schar has arguably been one of Newcastle’s most important players this season, especially when Botman was previously out with an ACL injury he picked up against Sheffield United in September.
The 32-year-old has had to play in the majority of games for Newcastle this season due to a lack of defensive options, though this is something the are hoping to rectify this summer.
One concern would be that Schar, as usual, has been called up to the Swiss national team once again, but head coach Murat Yakin has decided to drop him from his starting 11 ahead of the European Championships.
This will obviously be a big blow for the £3m defender who has represented his nation 78 times having made his debut in 2013, but for Newcastle it’s great news to lower the risk of potential injury to their star defender.
Speaking on Schar, Yakin said: “It was an intensive exchange, open and honest. We haven’t discussed it like that before. He now knows his role. Of course he wants to play. We can’t allow ourselves to fall out within the national team. Fabian is now looking forward, let’s see how he accepts his role.”
Newcastle eager to find Botman replacement
It’s understood that Newcastle were already looking at possible long-term replacements for Schar who will be 33 this year, and that search has been accelerated thanks to Botman’s new injury.
It will especially be a big summer priority should Newcastle qualify for Europe next season by finishing top seven in the Premier League and giving themselves even more fixtures to deal with.
While they should be more prepared next season to deal with fixture congestion after the Champions League issues, there’s little you can do when injuries take their toll on the squad.
Rather than splashing out on a big name, they could potentially look at someone like Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer from Bournemouth to step in temporarily and help save money for other areas of the squad.
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