Sven Botman defended as Eddie Howe makes shock admission about Newcastle star’s injury
Newcastle centre-back Sven Botman initially turned down surgery before suffering an ACL injury, according to Eddie Howe.
Botman sustained a partial tear in the ligament earlier in the season and sat out for a couple of months.
He returned to action in December but has now had to undergo surgery after fully tearing his ACL, ruling him out until possibly Christmas.
Howe confirmed that the former Lille man rejected the chance to fix the issue by going under the knife despite being advised to by the club's medical department.
In hindsight, this looks like a terrible decision, but ex-West Ham striker Dean Ashton passionately defended Botman.
Speaking on talkSPORT to Adrian Durham, he said: "It's down to him.
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"It's his body, and it's his career he's risking. I know he's an employee of Newcastle, who pay him a lot of money, but ultimately, it is him.
"It's his decision to have surgery, which is always a big call, no matter what that surgery is.
"I am very surprised he carried on, but it is his decision."
Ray Houghton also shared his view on the situation, and he supports Ashton.
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He said: "It was a gamble either way, and he's decided to go the route he did, and it didn't quite work out.
"Now, he's going to lose out, as are the Newcastle fans, because he's been such an integral part of their team, so he's going to be a big loss."
Botman joined Newcastle in the summer of 2023 from Lille and immediately established himself as a key part of the defence.
The 24-year-old looked born to play in the top-flight and helped the Magpies claim a Champions League spot.
He started this year well before suffering a partial ACL tear in September.
He played just one Champions League game and missed ten league matches because of this injury.
His return was greeted with joy from Toon fans, although it was clear he was still not right.
The Dutchman turned in a few below-par displays 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.
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His decision not to have surgery has cost him a place at Euro 2024 with the Netherlands, while Newcastle will more than likely be forced into recruiting a centre-back in the summer, with Lloyd Kelly a target.
Ultimately, it was Botman's right to avoid an operation, but it's backfired.