Newcastle have been hit by yet another devastating blow ahead of the Carabao Cup final with Sven Botman set for knee surgery, Mail Sport can reveal.
The Dutch defender saw a specialist on Tuesday and it was advised that an operation was the best course of action.
The length of Botman’s absence will be known in the coming days but he will miss the Wembley date against Liverpool on March 16, and beyond.
That means Eddie Howe has lost Botman, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall in the space of just a few days.