Chelsea’s hopes of beating Newcastle this weekend have been boosted as Dan Burn has been ruled out for several weeks after fracturing a rib and puncturing a lung in the Tyne and Wear derby.
Burn was unable to complete the first half of the heated match at the Stadium of Light, which Newcastle lost 1-0 by way of a Nick Woltemade own goal, after a nasty collision with Sunderland defender Nordi Mukiele, who was booked for his troubles.
Speaking post-match, Eddie Howe described the loss of Burn, his vice-captain, as “Unfortunately for us, we're losing players in one area of the pitch and our back line is stretched.
"We've got a number of absentees and so to lose another one in the colossal presence that Dan is, was a big one today.”
Burn was hospitalised post-match after reporting difficulty breathing, and it has now been revealed by the Daily Mail that the defender fractured a rib and suffered a punctured lung.
He has since been released from hospital and is in the care of Newcastle’s medical staff.
The Blyth-born centre-back is expected to be sidelined for most of January, in a potential blow to his hopes of being named to Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Burn has been a mainstay for Newcastle this season, making 25 appearances in all competitions.
His absence, then, is good news for Chelsea, who visit St James’ Park in the Premier League on Saturday with an eye to closing the gap to the league leaders.
Howe may have just four senior defenders available for the match. Among their number are summer signing Malick Thiaw, veteran Fabian Schar, and Chelsea academy graduates Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall.
