Newcastle defender Tino Livramento cut a devastated figure as he hobbled down the tunnel after suffering an injury against Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The full-back, 23, was carried off on a stretcher against Arsenal in September after suffering a knee injury which Eddie Howe described as ‘really distressing’ and fought well to make a return just two months later versus Manchester City.
But it appears Livramento has suffered another unfortunate setback after being substituted off late on during Newcastle’s Carabao Cup clash against the Cottagers and Selhurst Park.
After being replaced by substitute Alex Murphy, the visibly devastated defender headed straight down the tunnel after appearing to hurt his knee once again.
Team-mate Anthony Gordon, who was on the touchline warming up, came over to console Livramento by putting his arm around him in support.
After the match, which Newcastle won 2-1 thanks to a stoppage time goal from Lewis Miley, the versatile full-back limped back out on to the pitch with heavy strapping on his left knee.
Newcastle defender Tino Livramento cut a devastated figure as he hobbled down the tunnel after suffering an injury against Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night
Livramento, who has been plagued with injuries already this season, appeared to hurt his knee
The 23-year-old Magpies star was carried off on a stretcher with a knee injury in September
Livramento’s latest injury marks another huge blow for Howe, who is in the midst of a defensive crisis at St James’ Park heading into the busy festive schedule.
Senior defenders Lewis Hall, Dan Burn and Sven Botman, as well as goalkeeper Nick Pope, are currently on the injury list, while Kieran Trippier and Emil Krafth are also not expected back until early January.
Miley, a central midfielder by trade, was forced to deputise at right back against Fulham amid Newcastle’s growing injury crisis and could be deployed there again by Howe when his side face Chelsea during Saturday’s early kick-off.
Asked whether he could provide an update on Livramento’s injury, Howe said after the match: ‘No, but it doesn’t look good going off the way he did. It’s a worrying sign and we’re so stretched in that area already, so it’s a worrying blow.’
With next summer’s World Cup now less than six months away, the setback also casts doubt over whether Livramento will recover in time to convince Thomas Tuchel he deserves a seat on the plane.
Speaking on Livramento’s knee injury back in September, after he had been hauled off on a stretcher, Howe admitted it looked ‘really distressing’ and said: ‘He’s such a big player for us in so many different ways – his versatility, his attitude, his quality.
‘If we’re going to miss that for any length of time, it is going to be a huge blow.
‘It doesn’t sound great,’ he later told BBC’s Match of the Day. ‘The fact he came off on a stretcher is not looking good.’
