Summary Newcastle need to find a way of filling Sven Botman's void against Brighton today. An unbelievable new signing could help to plug the gap, as Dan Burn moves inside. The player in question outshone Burn from an attacking point of view last season.
Newcastle United will look to bounce back from a succession of defeats against Manchester City and Liverpool with victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League today but they will have to tweak the team.
Is Sven Botman out injured?
Although the season is still in its rudimentary phase, Newcastle will be desperate to end a two-match skid and clinch their second victory of the campaign.
To do so, the Seagulls will need to be felled in their own backyard once again, having lost 3-1 to West Ham United in a counter-attacking clinic last weekend, and while Eddie Howe will be confident his team can steer back on track, they will have to do so without star centre-back Sven Botman.
The Dutchman is likely to miss several weeks of action – at the very least – after sustaining an ankle injury against Liverpool, and in his absence, Dan Burn could well revert to his natural role in the middle of the defence after performing, admirably, at left-back for the past 12 months.
Should Howe opt to enact this alteration instead of handing stalwart Jamal Lascelles his seasonal debut, the door is opened for new club signing Lewis Hall to make his maiden appearance in black and white after completing a £35m transfer from Chelsea earlier in August.
Will Lewis Hall start against Brighton?
It's a testament to the 18-year-old's composure and age-belying belief that he performed so admirably in a pretty dismal Chelsea side last season, with the Blues finishing 12th in the Premier League and leaving the trophy cabinet untouched as the bloated squad failed to perform.
Described as a "top-tier talent" with "unbelievable dribbling ability" by BBC Sports' Raj Chohan, Hall made 11 appearances for the Stamford Bridge side last term.
He earned an average rating of 7.01 – as per Sofascore – in the Premier League, with his nine appearances yielding an 84% pass success rate, with an average of 1.7 key passes and 2.6 tackles per game.
The teenage talent even ranks across the top 5% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for tackles and the top 9% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, with such metrics showcasing an innate creative flair, technicality and defensive tenacity to serve as the framework for a prosperous career.
With Burn the most probable name to drift inwards to central defence, Hall's progressive skills and ball-playing ability is exactly what the St. James' Park side needs to wreak havoc on the south coast, with West Ham's 3-1 victory evidence that while Brighton are a cohesive outfit, they are susceptible to quick transition.
Considering that Burn only recorded an average score of 6.78 last year, making just 0.4 key passes per match, Botman's injury could have a transformative effect on Howe's tactical plans this season, with a hardy defence perhaps benefitting from a forward-thinking presence down the left channel, mirroring Kieran Trippier on the alternate side.
Having already broken into first-team football, Hall received the honour of Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year award in May – an accolade fellow Magpies summer signing Tino Livramento came out on top in two years prior.
And while the injury to Botman comes to the collective groan of the Tyneside support, the dynamic youngster now has the chance to prove his worth and continue a remarkable rise.