Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope is facing a four-month layoff due to a shoulder injury, as he will need surgery.
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Pope dislocated his left shoulder during Saturday’s (2) 1-0 Premier League win over Manchester United. At a press conference, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe confirmed the surgery. “We anticipate he’ll be operated on – there’s no doubt he needs an operation – so he will be out for a period of time, we think around four months”.
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With Pope out for an extended period, Newcastle will rely on Martin Dubravka, who already replaced him on Saturday. It has been reported that the team is looking for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has lost ground since the arrival of David Raya.
Another name emerging is David De Gea, who left Manchester United in the summer. Howe acknowledged the speculations during his press conference. “I’ve seen the names mentioned this week but we haven’t looked at that yet”.
Howe also added that they want to “give Dubravka a chance”. “We really believe in Martin. I have always had that high opinion of him. Martin is a high-class goalkeeper, he is a brilliant shot-stopper himself. He is very good with his feet and his distribution, so there’s no hesitation in bringing Martin into the team and I hope he does really well”, said Howe.