NEWCASTLE UNITED defender Emil Krafth has been forced to withdraw from international duty because of an injury sustained in yesterday’s 2-1 win over Tottenham.
Krafth played the full 90 minutes as the Magpies saw off Spurs, impressing at the heart of the back four alongside fellow centre-half Dan Burn.
However, he was battling against an injury issue for the latter stages of the game, and has pulled out of the Sweden squad for the forthcoming international break with what is being described as a “minor injury”.
Krafth had been due to join up with the Swedish squad ahead of a Nations League double header that will see them take on Azerbaijan and Estonia. The defender’s Newcastle team-mate, Alexander Isak, is still due to be involved in both games.
Newcastle’s medical staff will monitor Krath’s situation over the course of the next fortnight, with Eddie Howe sure to be hoping the 30-year-old’s problem does not develop into anything more serious.
While Fabian Schar has now completed his three-match suspension, and will be available for Newcastle’s next outing at Wolves on September 15, the club’s defensive resources remain extremely stretched with Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles still expected to be unavailable for a number of weeks.
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Despite a lengthy pursuit of Marc Guehi, and the tabling of a succession of bids to Crystal Palace, the Magpies failed to recruit a new centre-half in the final weeks of the transfer window.
Krafth’s performances in the opening month of the season have been a major bonus, with the full-back having coped admirably with the switch to centre-half following Schar’s dismissal in the opening-day win over Southampton.
“If you look at Emil as a player, he’s never really played centre-half in a back four before,” said Howe. “He might say different, but I don’t believe he has.
“He’s played in a back three, but a back four to a back three is totally different and he has done brilliantly in Fabian’s absence. He’s very dependable. First and foremost, he’s a great character, he wants to play for Newcastle and is really motivated to improve. Full credit to him.”
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