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Newcastle United defender Dan Burn is expected to be sidelined following a serious injury sustained during Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland. The 33-year-old suffered a broken rib and punctured lung in a first-half challenge with Sunderland right-back Nordi Mukiele.
The incident occurred as both players went for a 50/50 ball, with Mukiele’s knee making contact with Burn’s side. Mukiele was shown a yellow card for the challenge. Despite attempting to continue, Burn was substituted a few minutes later, with Fabian Schar coming on in his place.
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe confirmed that Burn required hospital treatment after experiencing difficulty breathing at halftime. “We're stretched in our backline," Howe said on Sunday. "We have got a number of injuries and that is alarming for us. It's not a perfect field for us currently. We're battling a few situations."
Howe is expected to provide a fuller update on Burn’s condition at his press conference on Tuesday, but the centre-back looks set to miss several matches over the festive period and into the new year.
Newcastle’s defensive options are already limited. Centre-back Sven Botman remains sidelined with a back problem, Kieran Trippier is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Emil Krafth continues his rehabilitation from a knee issue.
Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono
