Another big loss for Newcastle. Pope will miss several months. Who could replace him?

Newcastle United have been struggling with major personnel problems in recent weeks. Due to injuries, ten players were unable to play in the match against Manchester United, Sandro Tonali is serving a sentence for a betting scandal.

Only seven outfield players were available for Saturday’s game, with ‘Magpies’ manager Eddie Howe on the bench. Four of the players were under the age of 21. Why? The reason is the extensive injury bug that has plagued Newcastle this season.

Nick Pope will be long missed for Newcastle

One of the main contributors to Newcastle’s success is undoubtedly goalkeeping number one Nick Pope. The English goalkeeper, who arrived from Burnley before last season, became an indispensable part of his team almost immediately. But now coach Howe will have to cope without him.

His fatal match against Manchester United was the one in which he dislocated his shoulder a few minutes before the end. Eddie Howe had to send on the experienced Martin Dúbravka for the final minutes. The former Slovan Liberec or Sparta Prague player had to come on in the 86th minute. He didn’t score a goal and thanks to him Newcastle could enjoy a 1:0 win.

But a successful match took a heavy toll. “A huge blow for Newcastle: Nick Pope will undergo surgery on his dislocated shoulder. He is expected to be out for four months – return in April 2024,” said Fabrizio Romano, a well-known Italian journalist, on the social network X.

Will the former long-time Manchester United number one come?

One thing is clear, Nick Pope will not return to the three poles. The 34-year-old Dúbravka has been playing the role of the number two for a long time, followed by the German Loris Karius. The Slovakian goalkeeper will probably be the one to catch the ball until the winter transfer window opens.

Martin Dúbravka has been with Newcastle since the 2017/18 season, when he joined from Sparta Prague. The number one of the Slovakian national team enjoys a lot of fan favour, which he has earned mainly through his performances in previous seasons.

Newcastle now have some tough games ahead of them, apart from the Premier League game against Everton, who must necessarily pick up points, they will also face Tottenham. To make matters worse, the team from St. James’ Park will face a crucial Champions League qualifier against AC Milan.

The Daily Mail reports that the Magpies are considering bringing in an experienced Spanish goalkeeper. David De Gea has been out of contract since his time at Old Trafford – and he is being speculated as a potential replacement for Nick Pope.

Source: Fabrizio Romano, Daily Mail, Livesport