Eddie Howe looks set to leave Sven Botman on the bench in Newcastle’s opening game against Nottingham Forest.
That’s according to journalist Aaron Stokes, who believes Botman may be on the bench after Newcastle’s defence performed exceptionally well against Atalanta in their final pre-season game.
“If Botman had started on Friday, I would’ve thought he’d start, but I just think that back five looked really solid against Atalanta, and I think Howe knows that. But look, it’s a very, very, very good dilemma to have,” said Stokes, speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast.
There’s no doubt Botman was brought in to be a regular in the Newcastle defence, but the Dutchman could need time to settle in, and if the defence is performing well, it makes little sense to change that.