Newcastle face defensive crisis as Tino Livramento out for up to two months

The 23-year-old England international was forced off during Newcastle's FA Cup clash with Bournemouth, and subsequent scans confirmed the setback will sideline him for a busy stretch of fixtures.

Livramento had only recently returned from a knee injury sustained in September, making this his second significant lay-off this season. His absence comes at a particularly challenging time for Eddie Howe's squad, with centre-back Fabian Schar also sidelined for two to three months, and Dan Burn and Emil Krafth already out.

"Defensively, we're really stretched," Howe admitted after Newcastle's 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg defeat to Manchester City. "We're pinning our hopes on Dan being back pretty soon. That would give us a massive lift. The transfer market is still open, so we'll see if the right player is obtainable."

With Livramento unavailable, Newcastle now have just a handful of senior defensive options. Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall, Kieran Trippier, and midfielder Lewis Miley, who has stepped in at right-back, are all Howe can rely on for the immediate fixtures.

The club are weighing up potential solutions, including recalling left-back Matt Targett from his loan at Middlesbrough. However, Targett is reportedly keen to remain in Teesside to maintain regular game time, and Newcastle must also consider the impact of a mid-season signing on their summer transfer strategy.

Livramento's lay-off could see him miss around 15 games, including both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final, as well as league clashes against Wolves, Aston Villa, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Manchester City, Brentford, and Tottenham over the next 24 days. If recovery goes to plan, he could be back around early March, just in time for the Carabao Cup final and England's final pre-World Cup friendlies against Japan and Uruguay.

Howe described the news as "absolutely devastating" for Livramento, praising his hard work to return from injury. "He's worked so hard to come back," Howe said. "It's a huge setback, but we'll support him fully and manage the squad as best we can."