The Newcastle defender Sven Botman is facing up to nine months on the sidelines as he prepares to undergo knee surgery. The 24-year-old will undergo a procedure to repair an anterior cruciate ligament next week after limping out of Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup quarter-final loss at Manchester City. Botman, a £32m signing from Lille in 2022, had recently returned from a knee injury sustained in September. Newcastle said: “He is expected to return to action within six to nine months. The Dutch centre-back initially sustained a knee injury in September 2023 and elected for a non-surgical rehabilitation plan – a decision which saw him return to action in December. Everyone at Newcastle United wishes Sven a full and speedy recovery.” Botman returned in December after almost three months but has struggled to regain the form of his first season on Tyneside, during which he played a key role in the club’s top-four Premier League finish. He is the latest member of Newcastle squad to face a lengthy lay-off, with the goalkeeper Nick Pope working his way back from a shoulder injury and the midfielder Joelinton and striker Callum Wilson also sidelined for extended periods. Emil Krafth, Matt Targett, Elliot Anderson, Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock and Harvey Barnes have endured lengthy spells in the treatment room and Sandro Tonali is serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting regulations.