Newcastle United have confirmed goalkeeper Nick Pope will be out for around four months after sustaining an injury in the weekend’s league game against Manchester United.
Pope dislocated his left shoulder in the aforementioned fight and was replaced on the playing field in the end by Slovak representative Martin Dúbravka. It was the first start for the Slovak in the Premier League this season and he can add more in the coming weeks.
Head coach Eddie Howe informed that Pop is awaiting surgery. “He has not undergone it yet. However, in his case, we are talking about a treatment lasting approximately four months. It is a big blow for each of us,” Howe noted.
“It is natural that he is disappointed because at this stage of the season we still have many important games ahead of us that he would like to catch. He is also thinking about the European Championship, he wanted to be a part of the England national team. However, he still has a chance in this direction.”
Martin Dúbravka should be the first choice for the goalkeeper position, but coach Howe also has Loris Karius at his disposal. After Pop’s injury, there were speculations almost immediately that Newcastle could hire the Spaniard David de Gea in the beginning of January, who so far last played for Manchester United and is currently without a club.
“We haven’t taken any steps towards the January transfer window. Now the goalkeepers from our organization will get a chance. We’ll try to consolidate and then we’ll see.” Howe reported. The head coach of “The Magpies” currently does not have defenders Sven Botman, Dan Burn or midfielders Sean Longstaff, Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes available for a long time.
“We have full confidence in Martin. I have always considered him to be a quality goalkeeper. He is one of the best in his position. He has excellent reflexes, he can often deal with unpleasant shots. His advantage is that he is strong with his feet and has no problems with passing. I have no doubts about him doing well,” said Howe ahead of Thursday’s game at Everton. In it, Dúbravka should start as a starter in a Premier League match for the first time in over half a year.
2023-12-06 15:10:38
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