Newcastle United's Dan Burn is facing a period of inactivity after sustaining a broken rib and punctured lung during the recent derby defeat to Sunderland. The 33-year-old defender was injured in a 50/50 challenge with Sunderland right-back Nordi Mukiele in the first half, with Mukiele being booked for the incident. Burn initially attempted to continue, but was eventually replaced by Fabian Schar a few minutes later. Head coach Eddie Howe revealed that Burn was taken to hospital after struggling to breathe at half-time. A punctured lung occurs when air leaks into the space between the lung and chest wall, causing the lung to collapse. Howe is set to provide a more detailed prognosis at his news conference on Tuesday, but Burn is expected to miss several games over the festive period and into the new year. Howe expressed concern over the team's current injury situation, stating that they are 'stretched in our backline' and 'battling a few situations'. Centre-back Sven Botman is already sidelined with a back issue, while Kieran Trippier and right-back Emil Krafth are also recovering from hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. In the meantime, Schar is set to partner Malick Thiaw for Wednesday's Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur at St James' Park. However, Newcastle has limited senior options to ease the load on the pair and full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, who have only recently returned from injury. This situation raises questions about the team's ability to cope with the upcoming schedule, and the potential impact on their performance. The controversy surrounding Burn's injury and the team's injury situation invites discussion and debate among fans and experts alike. What do you think? Will Newcastle be able to overcome these challenges and maintain their position in the league? Or will the injuries have a significant impact on their performance? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
