EDDIE HOWE says Newcastle United will assess their defensive options in the next few days, but insists the loss of Fabian Schar does not mean the Magpies will cave in to Crystal Palace’s demands for Marc Guehi.

Newcastle are set to be without Schar for three matches after the Swiss defender received a straight red card for leaning his head into Ben Brereton Diaz during today’s 1-0 win over Southampton.

The Magpies have made four separate bids for Guehi over the course of the last fortnight, but have been unable to broker a deal for the England international, who is set to start for the Eagles against Brentford tomorrow.

READ MORE:

Palace chairman Steve Parish has claimed it would take ‘superstar money’ to prise Guehi from Selhurst Park, with the London club understood to be holding out for at least £65m as a guaranteed fee without add-ons.

Newcastle’s executive team are reluctant to go that high, with Howe insisting the absence of Schar does not change things despite right-back Emil Krafth having spent the final hour of today’s game playing alongside Dan Burn at centre-half.

“Emil came on in a difficult game, and I thought he was magnificent for us,” said the Magpies manager. “He’s so reliable, has never let us down, and it was a brilliant performance from him.

“Of course, we’re looking in the transfer market. We’ve got a period of time left, and we’ll see what we can do.

“Could we do something in the market? Possibly, but conditions have to be right for us. As I’ve said all along, we can’t do something that goes against the long-term good of the football club, so we’ll try to make the right decision.”

Newcastle’s defensive problems are compounded by the long-term absence of Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles.

The pair both underwent cruciate-ligament surgery towards the end of last season, and while they are making good progress with their respective recoveries, they will not be available until well into the autumn at the earliest.

“I wouldn’t expect either player back for months,” confirmed Howe, who has Lloyd Kelly as another centre-half option, with the summer signing from Bournemouth having made his Magpies debut as a substitute for left-back Lewis Hall this afternoon.

“I don’t want to be too specific, but I think they’re both about halfway through their timetable to return. There’s still a long way ahead for both players. They’re looking good at the moment, but there’s a lot of work ahead for them.”