Newcastle United set to unleash new partnership vs Spurs as defender ruled out for nine weeks

The Magpies head to North London as one of the Premier League’s in-form teams having won four games in a row without conceding. That has seen Eddie Howe’s side climb to fifth in the top-flight table.

However, that defensive record will be tested against Spurs with Howe forced to change his centre-back pairing for the first time since the 2-0 defeat at home to West Ham United on November 25.

Only on three occasions in the Premier League this season have Fabian Schar and Dan Burn not played alongside each other. But Schar is suspended for the visit to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after picking up a fifth yellow card in Monday’s 2-0 win at Manchester United.

Schar was harshly sent off on the opening day of the season for an apparent headbutt on Southampton forward Ben Brereton-Diaz, equalling in a three-match ban. He sat out of two league games and one Carabao Cup match, with Emil Krafth called up in the Swiss’ place.

Krafth, however, has been sidelined for the past nine weeks with a broken collarbone, which leaves summer signing Lloyd Kelly or the returning Sven Botman to choose from.

With Botman yet to play a single first-team minute, or indeed be included in the matchday since returning from nine months out with an ACL injury, Kelly is expected to get the nod this weekend.

It is weirdly an unwritten rule not to play two left-footed centre-backs together but Howe doesn’t have a choice. And for Kelly, he must grasp his opportunity.

Kelly has only made three Premier League starts since joining on a free transfer from AFC Bournemouth in the summer. He was excellent in United’s Carabao Cup win over Chelsea in October but fell way below standard a month or so later when he came in for the suspended Burn against West Ham. He hasn’t featured in the starting XI since.

Facing Spurs is the 26-year-old’s chance to show his worth at a time when he’ll not only face competition from Burn, but Botman too.