LONDON: Newcastle United full back Tino Livramento will be sidelined for eight weeks after injuring knee ligaments against Arsenal last weekend but the experienced Kieran Trippier will be an able deputy in his absence, manager Eddie Howe said on Friday.
Livramento was taken off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly in an aerial duel in the 2-1 loss on Sunday but Howe said the 22-year-old’s diagnosis brought relief rather than despair as his return timeline was better than expected.
“He went to see a specialist a couple of days ago as the scan initially looked better than we thought it was,” Howe told reporters ahead of Sunday’s home game against Nottingham Forest.
“He has confirmed it is looking like an eight-week injury, which is a blow given our schedule, but it is looking better than what we initially feared,” Howe added.
INJURY BLOW AMID HECTIC SCHEDULE
Howe said Newcastle would turn to 35-year-old Trippier to fill in for the England international amid a busy schedule with the club involved in three competitions.
“That is the beauty of the squad and the strength of the squad we have, which will make a difference for us. We have real depth in the strength of the defensive areas,” Howe added.
“Losing Tino is a big blow for us with his athleticism and quality, but I have spoken many times about the role Kieran plays and his experience and quality he brings to the squad.”
Meanwhile, Sky Sports reported tat the club’s new striker Yoane Wissa, who was sidelined for four weeks after suffering a knee injury on international duty with DR Congo last month, will likely return only in November.
Newcastle have work to do in the Premier League, where they are 15th with one victory in six games.
“We’ve got a few clicks to go but I will always be saying that regardless of how well we are playing,” Howe said.
“We are finding our rhythm, we are a new team and any change takes time to absorb but I am confident we can continue to get better.”
HOWE 100 percent COMMITTED TO NEWCASTLE
Howe also shot down reports linking him to the Manchester United job with their coach Ruben Amorim under pressure.
“My commitment is that I am all in. I am 100 percent here and always have been,” he said.
“My family are still here and we are fighting every day to make a success of what we are doing. The season ahead could be a wonderful thing and that is what I want to focus on.”
Another manager facing fan fury is Forest’s Ange Postecoglou, with Sunday’s opponents yet to win since the Australian took charge at the City Ground last month, and Howe said that was the ‘fragility’ of the job.
“No amount of success previously can take you out of that firing line,” Howe said.
“We are all subjected to the same forces and dictated to by results. In any moment, good or bad, you have to be yourself and that is what Ange is.”
Newcastle’s Livramento ruled out for eight weeks, says Howe
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Newcastle’s Livramento ruled out for eight weeks, says Howe
- Livramento was taken off on a stretcher after landing awkwardly in an aerial duel in the 2-1 loss on Sunday but Howe said the 22-year-old’s diagnosis brought relief rather than despair
The sum of all fears
- After 3 years and millions spent on 24 foreign and local players and 3 new coaches, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment?
- Ronaldo’s PR war with the club and the Saudi Pro League is now being played out in public after he missed a second straight game against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo’s famed PR prowess is in full flow as controversy surrounding his refusal to play for Al-Nassr continues. Meanwhile, his club and the Saudi Pro League are standing their ground. And across the Kingdom, and around the world, the question fans and pundits are asking is: Where is Al-Nassr’s return on investment since the Portuguese superstar joined just over three years ago?
A solitary Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, with no major domestic or continental titles, would be — for a club of Al-Nassr’s stature — unacceptable during any period, never mind one which includes Ronaldo and a host of expensive foreign and local signings.
The club have signed over 50 players in the Ronaldo era and appointed three full-time coaches, including incumbent Jorge Jesus. The return has been scant, to say the least.
The club’s malaise on the pitch has been matched in the boardroom with a host of changes taking place during the continuing trophy drought. In 2024, Al-Nassr’s President Ibrahim Al-Muhaidib resigned due to lack of control at the club and was eventually replaced by Abdullah Al-Majid.
In January of 2025, Majid Al-Jam’an replaced Al-Nassr’s CEO at the time of Ronaldo’s arrival, Guido Fienga, whose role changed to club adviser. Following restructuring demands by Ronaldo, Al-Jam’an himself was replaced last summer with Jose Semedo. At the same time, Simao Coutinho replaced former Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro as sporting director.
Such turmoil has hardly been conducive to success and trophies, despite all the incoming signings.
The fallout from Ronaldo’s refusal to play for Al-Nassr since the last day of the winter transfer window continues to be felt almost a week on.
It is safe to say the direction of Saudi football itself has shifted dramatically since the turn of the month. With the transfer window initially not producing any fireworks, it seemed like all the focus would return to the title race between Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Qadsiah as the season entered its final third.
That changed following a contract renewal dispute between Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad, which led to the Frenchman’s departure. A swift move to Al-Nassr’s city rivals and league leaders Al-Hilal followed, leading to the dramatic fallout that caused shockwaves across the football industry.
The repercussions of Benzema’s transfer have reshaped the league’s landscape. Ronaldo, reportedly frustrated that Al-Nassr had only signed Hayder Abdulkareem from Al-Zawraa and Abdullah Al-Hamdan from Al-Hilal, withdrew from his side’s clash with Al-Riyadh on Feb. 2.
As reports emerged suggesting that Ronaldo was unhappy with the way the Public Investment Fund was managing the league’s four major clubs, global media attention turned to how the situation would unfold.
Despite the noise off the field, Al-Nassr remain just one point behind Al-Hilal in the title race with more than a third of the games still to play.
The side endured a difficult run against Al-Qadsiah, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, but the league remains wide open with all four sides still in contention.
While Ronaldo returned to training amid false reports of his departure from the Kingdom, he missed a second consecutive match on Feb. 6 — a 2-0 win against Benzema’s former club Al-Ittihad.
It is fair to say that the drama has been the biggest seen in Saudi football since Ronaldo joined at the end of 2022, and arguably one of the biggest ever.
It is not the first time that the 41-year-old star has leveraged his status in world football to drive his ambitions, and his grievances, to the fore. His move to Saudi had taken place following an infamous interview with international television host Piers Morgan in which he criticized his then-club Manchester United, leading to his signing for Al-Nassr.
Now, with no clarity on whether Ronaldo will feature against Al-Fateh on Feb. 14, questions surrounding his immediate future remain unanswered.
A day prior to the Al-Ittihad encounter, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson revealed in an official statement to the BBC that “no individual — however significant — determines decisions beyond their own club.”
However, an Al Arabiya source outlined there were four factors behind Ronaldo’s reported dissatisfaction.
Firstly, Al-Nassr were said to be close to signing Saud Abdulhamid, but the deal collapsed amid claims that Al-Hilal, one of the player’s former clubs, believed his return to the league should only be with them.
Secondly, the source claimed Al-Nassr did not receive the same backing as Al-Hilal during the transfer window.
Thirdly, the league leaders made four foreign signings, including Benzema, to dwarf Al-Nassr’s efforts.
The source finally alleged that Ronaldo believed Al-Nassr’s CEO and sporting director had been restricted in their ability to operate.
While many fans continue to voice their support for Ronaldo, alternative viewpoints have emerged as his absence has continued.
Sports lawyer Ahmed Al-Shikhi posted on social media that, based on the official FIFA Transfer Matching System data for 2025, Al-Nassr were the highest spending club not just in Saudi Arabia, but across Asia.
Some fans have noted that, despite the club’s heavy spending, Al-Nassr remain the only member of Saudi Arabia’s traditional “big four” not to have won a major trophy since Ronaldo’s arrival.
For his part, renowned sports commentator and former Saudi footballer, Turki Al-Awad, defended Al-Nassr and eluded that given everything Cristiano Ronaldo has offered Saudi football, "the GOAT" should be above criticism.
“Ronaldo was the first to join the Saudi project, and on that basis, he should be treated (with respect), with the issue resolved quickly. We were very happy with his arrival, and he added a lot to us,” he said recently on Fi Al Marmi, a leading sports talkshow on Al-Arabiya News Channel.
On a similar note, Piers Morgan also voiced his support for Ronaldo.
Posting on X, he wrote: “Cristiano has revolutionised Saudi football in a way nobody else could have done. He just wants a level playing field”.
The situation ultimately underscores the growing tension between individual star power and institutional governance within the Saudi Pro League.
As the title race is set to enter its decisive phase in the coming weeks — including a Riyadh derby that could prove pivotal — it remains to be seen whether Ronaldo’s absence proves a momentary protest or a sign of deeper friction that will become clearer in the coming weeks.
For now, the episode has shone a light on the fact that the Saudi Pro League’s evolution is entering a more complex phase — one in which the battle between stars and structure proves difficult to govern.
