Eddie Howe hints at potential defensive transfer this month amid latest injury crisis
The Newcastle United treatment room might as well be fitted with a revolving door these days.
Just as we welcomed back Sven Botman to the squad, Fabian Schar picked up an injury, leaving Eddie Howe no further forward in terms of options.
Meanwhile, Dan Burn is still on the road to recovery from his broken rib and punctured lung, and Jamaal Lascelles is ... well, we've got more on him coming up soon.
Now, with Fabian Schar set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines, it has been asked of Eddie Howe if the club are going to try and bring in reinforcements during the winter window.
Eddie Howe hasn't ruled out dipping into the transfer market this month
Speaking to the media on Friday morning ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie against Bournemouth, Eddie Howe didn't rule out dipping into the transfer market, despite having previously said that they wouldn't buy players to fix short-term problems.
"We have to get a definitive assessment on the scale of the injury. Let's see with Dan and other options we have internally and we will make a decision."
There is, of course, the loan market, which could see Newcastle fix a short-term problem with a short-term solution.
Lewis Miley could be Eddie Howe's preferred solution
Meanwhile, Howe hasn't ruled out deploying Swiss-Army-Man Lewis Miley at centre-back in the meantime.
"I still see his long term position in midfield but we will use him wherever the team needs as long as Lewis is comfortable with that and at the minute he is happy to play anywhere to help the team. He was outstanding going into centre-half the other day. We have trained him there a few times over the last couple of years so we knew he could do a job in there. We sprung being a full-back on him and that was the positive surprise."
Miley has adapted to every position he's been asked to play so we honestly aren't too nervous about having him in the heart of defence in the short term.
