Joelinton, Burn, Botman: Newcastle United injury news and return dates ahead of Man City and Nottingham Forest

It was labelled by some journalists as the ‘night after the lord mayors show’, ‘the post-parade hangover’, ‘a potential banana skin’ and a ‘possible cup upset, but despite fans’ worst fears after conceding a 40 second opener, Newcastle United were professionally able to navigate their way through a tricky FA Cup time away to Birmingham City by securing a 3-2 victory to book their place in the fifth round.

The win, which came just days after Newcastle’s memorable 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, leaves Eddie Howe’s side as the only team still in contention for both cup competitions, and dreaming of ending their 56-year-wait for silverware after their 1969 Inter Cities Fairs Cup triumph.

The Magpies, who made nine changes from Wednesday’s victory, showed impressive character after Birmingham’s lightning start and were good value for their victory in a physically demanding contest. Newcastle fans were delighted to see Callum Wilson make his long-awaited return to the goals after a nightmare season with injury, while they were also able to see Matt Targett get through a full 90 minutes for the first time since September 2023.

However, just as some stars showed signs of returning to full fitness, the team was left with further selection headaches as stalwart Dan Burn left the pitch after just 55 minutes with a groin problem.He joins Joelinton and Sven Botman in the list of doubts ahead of a crucial Premier League showdown with Manchester City.

But what is the latest on Burn’s fitness and when can Newcastle welcome back some of their big stars from the treatment room? Here we take a look at the latest injury news from St James’ Park.

Dan Burn

Dan Burn was one of just two names who remained in the starting line-up after Newcastle’s 2-0 victory against Arsenal. He struggled at times to deal with the threat of Jay Stansfield and was forced off in the 55th minute with a groin injury. Eddie Howe said: “We were forced to take Dan off. It was something with his groin. Fingers crossed, it’s not too bad.”

The Blyth-born defender’s fitness is currently being assessed and an exact timeframe on his return has not yet been determined ahead of a crucial test against Manchester City.

Sven Botman

Netherlands international produced his best performance of the season to help the Magpies to a 2-0 victory over Arsenal. The 25-year-old, who only recently returned from an ACL injury, was taken off in the 80th minute of that contest with a knee injury, which Eddie Howe has revealed is on the opposite leg of one where he injured his ACL.

“I don't think he'll be available this weekend. He's taken a knock to the knee, the opposite one to the ACL. It isn't a serious injury, but it'll keep him out of Birmingham before we assess him next week.” Said Howe earlier this month.

He is a doubt for the upcoming clash with Manchester City and is likely to undergo a late fitness test ahead of the contest.

Joelinton

A commanding presence in midfield, Brazilian international Joelinton has been at the forefront of Newcastle’s success story this season and has formed a formidable partnership with both Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali.

The 28-year-old missed the second leg of the semi-final with Arsenal and is currently nursing a knee injury. He is expected to miss at least a few weeks of first team action.

Howe said: “We knew that we were missing Joe for a period of time... I think Joelinton will be out for weeks, not months. It is not a serious injury, but it is enough to make him miss the next few league games.”

Harvey Barnes and Jamaal Lascelles

Former Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes has proven to be a game-changer from the bench throughout the season, but has been absent from the squad since an FA Cup win over Bromley. The 27-year-old is edging closer to a return and should be back in contention by the end of February after a minor setback. Howe explained: “Harvey is a little behind; he is maybe two to three weeks away.”

Ex- Magpies skipper Jamaal Lascelles sustained an ACL injury at a similar time to Sven Botman last season, but remains a few weeks behind the Dutchman in his recovery.The former Nottingham Forest defender is targeting a mid-March return to first team action and will hope to offer his team valuable squad depth in the final furlong of the campaign.