Botman unlikely to return before December at the earliest

The player is still working on recovering from an ACL injury he suffered last season, so he is unable to participate in the game.

Botman, who was outstanding when he first came to the club, has been a huge miss.

Per Chronicle Live, there is no chance Botman will be rushed back into action.

New performance director James Bunce is reportedly keen to ensure that all players are fully fit when they come back.

Newcastle want to avoid a repeat of last season, when players were rushed back and were injured again.