Newcastle: Sven Botman withdrawn from Netherlands squad

Newcastle United journalist for The Shields Gazette Dominic Scurr has shared that Sven Botman has been withdrawn from the Netherlands squad with illness.

The Lowdown: No senior caps yet…

Perhaps surprisingly, Botman has not yet earned a senior cap for the Netherlands at the age of 23, although he has played 37 times at youth level.

Lauded as a ‘special player‘ by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp, he has established himself as an important part of the Newcastle team already despite only joining last summer, as he ranks highly among his team-mates for average aerial duels won, interceptions, clearances, blocks, passes and pass success rate per match in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Botman was called up by his country for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers, but has unfortunately had to withdraw.

The Latest: Illness

Taking to Twitter, Scurr has shared that Botman has unfortunately had to withdraw from the Netherlands squad because of illness:

“More international frustration for Sven Botman has he has had to withdraw from the Netherlands squad to to illness. Cody Gakpo, Matthijs de Ligt, Joey Veerman and Bart Verbruggen have also withdrawn. The #NUFC defender was set to make his senior international debut this month.”

However, in a potential silver lining for the central defender, Scurr adds that the squad will be reviewed after their first game against France, and Botman could potentially return against Gibraltar if he recovers:

“Botman will miss the France match due to a ‘virus infection’. The squad will then be reviewed, meaning a recall is still possible for the game against Gibraltar.”

The Verdict: Fingers crossed

Botman’s camp will certainly be having their fingers crossed that he can recover in time to at least play against Gibraltar and make his senior debut.

At St. James’ Park, they will be hoping that his illness is not serious, with Botman set to return to the North East after the international break.

Indeed, the Magpies face a tough fixture against fellow top-four hopefuls Manchester United in their first match back, before three away trips in a row to West Ham United, Brentford and Aston Villa respectively.

Nonetheless, Eddie Howe will want Botman available for those run of games, as they looked to make a real push for the top four.