Fabian Schar remains a permanent fixture of Newcastle United's backline but the £3m Toon bargain could return from suspension and face a rare fight for his spot at centre-back.

Schar, who has featured in all of Newcastle's Premier League outings this term bar the three he has been suspended for, will likely return in the FA Cup this weekend but as for the future top flight clashes, it is anyone's guess as to which duo Howe will call upon.

Sven Botman has returned without missing a beat following a near 300-day absence courtesy of an ACL injury. The Dutchman has battled fatigue to help Newcastle record big wins at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in the last week alone - and has done so in an unorthodox role.

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Moving from the left to the right of Howe's central defensive partnership, left-footer Botman has filled in with ease in Schar's usual spot. The former Ajax and Lille star has impressed so much in doing so that Howe is seemingly debating keeping him in that right-sided role going forward.

"He was determined, physically excellent in in near enough every respect and especially when again you consider he's on an unnatural side of the pitch, you wouldn't have known and that gives us real food for thought for the future that he could play that role," the Newcastle boss told reporters on Friday.

Botman and Schar has been Howe's go-to partnership when both have been fit and firing but it would be impossible to suggest dropping Burn out of the lineup at present given his unbelievable form this term.

Ousted from his regular spot at left-back at the end of last season, the £12m former Brighton star has looked better than ever - and much more comfortable - when dispatched at left centre-back once again. So much so that even Anthony Gordon has hailed Burn as Newcastle's player of the season so far.

“I didn't know Anthony had said that – I'm pleased he did because he's not mentioning himself in that, so he's passing the praise somewhere else, which I always think is a good thing," Howe said this week.

“And quite rightly to Dan because I think Dan has been very, very good this season, and he always shows, for me, the spirit that we need. He knows what it means to represent the football club, he conducts himself in a brilliant way whether it's on the pitch or off the pitch."

Dropping Burn during arguably his best run of form since arriving at St James' Park feels unfathomable and while Botman needs to be eased back into first-team duties gently, he looks as good as ever since returning.

As such, for the first time for arriving as Newcastle boss, Howe may be faced with the previously unthinkable option of dropping the ever-reliable Schar from his starting XI. It's certainly a positive headache for the Toon boss to ponder.