Newcastle United manager hopeful for defender Botman's form recovery

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has expressed his hope that defender Sven Botman will regain his best form in the coming weeks. Botman faced criticism for his performance in the team's recent 4-1 defeat against Arsenal, where he scored an own goal and was substituted after 72 minutes. However, Howe defended the 24-year-old, citing his previous knee injury as a factor in his current form. Howe emphasized that Botman has been improving with each game but still needs time to reach his peak levels. The manager also stressed that the focus should be on the team as a whole, rather than singling out individual players. In other news, midfielder Joe Willock made a successful return from an Achilles injury, scoring Newcastle's only goal in their match against Arsenal. Howe praised Willock's performance and stated that he is close to being able to start a match. Newcastle will face Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup fifth-round tie on Tuesday.