Newcastle hit by Tino Livramento blow to give Eddie Howe selection headache

Livramento could potentially miss 11 matches after leaving the field on a stretcher on Sunday

Tino Livramento was brought off the field in Newcastle's defeat by Arsenal (Reuters)

Newcastle defender Tino Livramento is facing up to eight weeks on the sidelines with the knee injury he suffered against Arsenal.

The 22-year-old England international was carried off the field on a stretcher in some distress during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by the Gunners at St James’ Park and head coach Eddie Howe admitted that the early prognosis did not look good.

It is now understood Livramento could be out for six to eight weeks and potentially miss 11 matches including Champions League fixtures against Union Saint-Gilloise, Benfica, Athletic Bilbao and Marseille, as well as England’s World Cup qualifiers against Latvia, Serbia and Albania and a friendly against Wales.

Livramento has become a key figure for Newcastle (Richard Sellers/PA)

The injury is not as bad as initially feared but will still come as a huge blow to Howe, who has seen a man he bought from Southampton for £32m during the summer of 2023 as a right-back fill in more than adequately on the left in recent months.

Any extended absence will leave Lewis Hall, who missed the Arsenal game through fatigue, as the club’s only specialist left-back, although central defender Dan Burn has played much of his career there.

In addition, it will rob Howe of the ability to manage 35-year-old Kieran Trippier’s game time, but he at least has back-up in the shape of utility man Emil Krafth.