Dan Burn out with broken rib and punctured lung as Newcastle face defensive crisis

Newcastle United defender Dan Burn is set for a significant spell on the sidelines after sustaining a broken rib and a punctured lung during Sunday’s Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland, Sport360NG reports.

The 33-year-old suffered the injury in a first-half 50/50 challenge with Sunderland right-back Nordi Mukiele, who was booked after his knee collided with Burn’s side as both players went to win the ball. Despite initially attempting to continue, Burn was substituted a few minutes later for Fabian Schar.

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe confirmed that Burn was taken to hospital at half-time after experiencing difficulty breathing. A punctured lung occurs when air enters the space between the lung and chest wall, causing the lung to collapse.

Howe is expected to provide a more detailed update on Burn’s condition during Tuesday’s press conference. The defender is likely to miss several fixtures during the congested festive period and into the new year.

“We’re stretched in our backline,” Howe admitted on Sunday. “We have a number of injuries, and that is concerning for us. It’s not the ideal situation at the moment, and we’re dealing with several challenges.”

Burn’s absence adds to Newcastle’s defensive woes. Centre-back Sven Botman is already sidelined with a back issue, while Kieran Trippier is recovering from a hamstring injury and Emil Krafth is out with a knee problem.

For Wednesday’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park, Schar is expected to partner Malick Thiaw in central defence. However, senior options remain limited, putting added pressure on full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, who have only recently returned from injury.