Newcastle United will be without Fabian Schar for their Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City following suspension confirmation.
The Swiss defender picked up a yellow card during Newcastle’s dramatic 2-1 quarter-final victory over Fulham at St James’ Park.
Schar was booked in the first half for grabbing Raul Jimenez near the halfway line as Fulham threatened on transition.
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That caution proved costly, as it followed another booking received earlier in the competition against Tottenham Hotspur.
Under Carabao Cup regulations, two yellow cards before the semi-final stage trigger an automatic one-match suspension.
Defensive issues deepen For Eddie Howe
The ban adds to Eddie Howe’s growing defensive crisis ahead of a demanding January schedule across multiple competitions.
Newcastle are already missing several defenders, including Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier through injury.
Lewis Hall missed the Fulham match with a minor hamstring problem, while Tino Livramento limped off with a knee issue.
As a result, Newcastle finished the game with midfielder Lewis Miley at right-back and youngster Alex Murphy at left-back.
Schar and Malick Thiaw were the only fit senior centre-backs available, underlining the scale of Howe’s selection headache, reports Newcastle World.
Howe admitted concern over Livramento’s injury but remains hopeful Hall could return for the upcoming Premier League fixtures.
Newcastle face Chelsea, Manchester United and Leeds before hosting Manchester City in the semi-final first leg in January.
While defensive reinforcements may return before then, Schar’s suspension is unavoidable, leaving Newcastle short against Pep Guardiola’s side.
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