Newcastle has been beaten by another devastating blow before the Carabao Cup final with Sven Botman Set for knee surgery, Mail Sport can reveal.
The Dutch defender saw a specialist on Tuesday and was informed that an operation was the best course of action.
The duration of Botman's absence will be known in the next few days, but Wembley date will be lost against Liverpool on March 16 and beyond.
That means Eddie Howe has lost Botman, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall in the space of only a few days.
Gordon will be suspended by the final after his red card against Brighton on Sunday, while Hall has been discarded for the season with a foot injury.
But the news about Botman is a great blow, given that the center-stands only returned from an absence of 10 months ACL in January.
Anthony Gordon (left) and Lewis Hall (right) will miss the final due to suspension and injury respectively
It is believed that this problem is in its opposite knee and there is hope that it is not such a serious problem.
The last five games has been lost and Newcastle had believed that I was ready to return in recent weeks. However, this week's consultation has revealed that surgery is required.