Sven Botman injury update - Hope for Howe ahead of brutal December run?

An injury update has arrived on Sven Botman this afternoon, indicating that the Dutchman is edging closer to full fitness ahead of a hectic run of December fixtures.

According to Craig Hope at The Mail, the centre-back is now training individually on the grass and it's become increasingly likely he'll avoid surgery on his knee.

It's believed there's 'hope' behind the scenes that he will NOT need to go under the knife, suggesting the swelling around his knee has subsided.

His potential return date is not clear - we'll hear more from Eddie Howe when he speaks to the media on Friday morning - but it would be a huge boost to have the former Lille star back for the festive schedule, where we play NINE games in December across the Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup.

Botman has sat out our last 12 games in all competitions after suffering a knee problem in our 8-0 win at Sheffield United two months ago.

https://twitter.com/CraigHope_DM/status/1730206794364883401