Sven Botman defends himself as Eddie Howe makes shock admission of Newcastle star's injury

Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman initially refused surgery before suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.according to Eddie Howe.

Botman suffered a partial ligament tear early in the season and was out for a couple of months.

He returned to action in December but has now had to undergo surgery after completely tearing his ACL, possibly ruling him out until Christmas.

howe confirmed that the former Lille player rejected the possibility of solving the problem by undergoing surgery despite the club's medical department recommending it.

In retrospect, it seems like a terrible decision, but the former West Ham striker Dean Ashton passionately defended Botman.

Speaking on talkSPORT with Adrian Durham, he said: “It's up to him.

“It is his body and it is his career that he is risking. I know that he is an employee of Newcastle, who pays him a lot of money, but in the end it is him.

“It is your decision to have surgery, which is always an important decision, no matter what the surgery is.

“I'm very surprised he went ahead, but it's his decision.”

Ray Houghton He also shared his opinion on the situation and supports Ashton.

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He said: “It was a gamble either way, and he decided to follow the path he took, but it didn't quite work out.”

“Now he is going to lose out, as will the Newcastle fans, because he has been an integral part of their team, so it will be a big loss.”

botman joined Newcastle in the summer of 2023 from Lille and immediately established himself as a key part of the defense.

The 24-year-old looked like he was born to play in the top flight and helped the Magpies secure a Champions League spot.

He started this year long before suffering a partial ACL tear in September.

He only played one Champions League game and missed ten League games due to this injury.

His return was greeted with joy by Toon fans, although it was clear he still wasn't right.

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The Dutchman had some below-par performances against Arsenal and Chelsea that indicated all was not well.

He then came off during Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup and now faces a minimum of six months out.

His decision not to have surgery has cost him a place in Euro 2024 with Holland, while Newcastle will probably be forced to sign a centre-back in the summer, with Lloyd Kelly a target.

Ultimately, Botman had the right to avoid surgery, but it backfired.