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EPL Nick Pope joins Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Fabian Schar (George Wood/Getty Images) Eddie Howe has conjured unprecedented Premier League survival from a fraught position, Champions League qualification (twice) and a first domestic trophy in 70 years during his Newcastle United tenure — yet pulling a full-back “rabbit from the hat”, as he describes it, is seemingly beyond even his powers of sorcery. Advertisement The head coach has a far deeper squad for 2025-26 after a summer recruitment drive, but injuries have left him short down his defensive flanks heading into a potentially season-defining month. Tino Livramento is an automatic starter, whether at right-back or left-back, and has arguably been Newcastle’s most consistent performer across 2025. He will not feature again until December after suffering knee ligament damage. Lewis Hall, meanwhile, has developed rapidly under Howe, rising from being almost unselectable in 2023-24 to warranted England recognition. Having been sidelined for five months with a broken foot, Hall made five appearances before suffering a hamstring problem against Union Saint-Gilloise. The timescale for Hall’s absence is unclear. The 21-year-old will undergo a second scan next week and, while Howe hopes it will not be a long-term issue, he has admitted it is not short term either. Between the October and November international breaks Newcastle play seven matches across all competitions, including critical Champions League home games against Benfica and Athletic Bilbao and a Carabao Cup clash against Tottenham Hotspur. They must navigate that hectic 22-day period — a fixture every 3. 1 days — without their regular starting full-backs. Encouragingly, as stretched as Newcastle are out wide, and despite having an attack in transition, whoever deputises will be slotting into an extremely well-functioning defensive unit that has already successfully absorbed changes in personnel and system. Across 10 matches in all competitions, Newcastle have kept six clean sheets. In the Premier League, Newcastle have managed a top-flight-high five shutouts in seven games, only being breached by Liverpool and Arsenal. There has been nothing fortuitous about ‘nilling’ five opponents, either. As the table below shows, Newcastle rank near the top for most important defensive metrics. Their expected goals against (x GA) — which measures the quality of opposition chances — is 4. 89, the second-lowest figure after Arsenal. Teams are averaging 9. 5 shots against Newcastle, 3. 4 on target, yet the quality of those opportunities is the second-lowest being afforded to an opponent (0. 08 x G per 90) and the average shot distance is 17. 4 yards, according to Fbref. com, suggesting clear-cut chances are seldom offered up. Advertisement Newcastle’s robust defensive structure relies on the entire team contributing. As a team, Newcastle are yet to make an error leading to a goal, and the two chances given up through errors is the second-fewest. The form of the back line, in whichever make-up, has been exceptional. Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn and Livramento started the opening four league games, with Sven Botman slotting in as a fifth defender against Leeds, and kept three clean sheets. Across the last three top-flight games, the defence has changed three times — in shape and/or personnel — and another two shutouts have followed, with Malick Thiaw, the summer signing, excelling alongside Botman, and Burn reverting to left-back. Two clean sheets have been delivered with a back five and three with a flat four. Each defender that has started has been involved in at least one shutout. Burn has been the only defensive top-flight ever-present — with the rest of the back line rotated, sometimes by choice and sometimes out of necessity. The concussion Schar suffered against Barcelona saw him miss three games, affording Thiaw an opportunity he has grasped, while injuries, allied with Botman’s return to imperious form, have seen Burn shift to left-back from centre-half. “Dan’s very important because he’s sort of played two roles, ” Howe said after Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. “With injuries to Lewis and Tino, that takes on even more importance. ” Hall may have only started one league game, but the plan was to gradually ramp up his minutes ready for this upcoming block of games. Livramento’s rare ability to operate almost as effectively down either flank had permitted Hall’s managed return but, with both out, there “aren’t too many options” as Howe puts it. Having loaned Matt Targett to Middlesbrough — there is no expectation of a recall, given the 30-year-old would not be registered in the Premier League or Champions League — left-back is one of the few positions with a lack of out-and-out alternatives. Advertisement Burn has performed dependably there, although his lack of pace was occasionally exposed by Arsenal and Forest, and he offers a limited overlapping threat. He is also now an England international centre-half now who put on 6kg in 18 months so he could overpower strikers, having previously dropped weight to play left-back. Alex Murphy, the 21-year-old full back who has made three career substitutes appearances for Newcastle, is inexperienced, even if Howe says “he is developing all the time”. Trippier could shift flanks, though that limits his attacking output, and despite insisting he feels “the fittest I’ve ever felt” in Sunday’s programme notes, at 35 there are doubts about his ability to play twice a week. Emil Krafth does provide an alternative at right-back, though his attacking output is not comparable with Trippier’s or Livramento’s. Harrison Ashby is in the Premier League squad, though he has never made a first-team appearance, while Leo Shahar, the 18-year-old who has trained with the senior side throughout 2025, has yet to make his debut. Beyond that, players would have to be fielded out of position should further fitness issues bite. Thiaw has played right-back before, while Jacob Murphy has also covered the position in an emergency. Jamaal Lascelles, the club captain, provides depth at centre-half — though he is not in the European squad — and his availability offers cover should Thiaw shift out or a back five be deployed. Losing Livramento and Hall before another busy run of fixtures presents a fresh complication for Howe and his back line to overcome. Although Howe may not have a full-back ‘rabbit’ hidden away, he has a defensive unit boosted by its own meanness, regardless of its make-up, and that should help compensate for these latest injuries. (Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Chris Waugh is a staff writer for The Athletic, covering North East football and most particularly Newcastle United. Before joining The Athletic he worked for Mail Online, and then reported on NUFC for The Chronicle, The Journal and The Sunday Sun. He has covered NUFC home and away since 2015. Follow Chris on Twitter @Chris DHWaugh