A former Newcastle United goalkeeper has spoken about Nick Pope’s injuries and a probable replacement.
According to former Magpies goalkeeper Rob Elliot, Newcastle United have already found a replacement for long-term injury sufferer Nick Pope.
The England goalkeeper will be out for an extended period of time after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the closing minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 triumph over Manchester United. In his pre-match press conference before of Thursday night’s visit to Everton, Magpies manager Eddie Howe revealed Pope has yet to undergo surgery, but did clarify the former Burnley star will be out for ‘probably around four months’.
Over the last 48 hours, United have been linked with moves for former Manchester United keeper David De Gea and Arsenal and England stopper Aaron Ramsdale, though Howe stressed that no decisions had been made on recruitment and admitted Pope’s injury provides an opportunity for his other goalkeepers to compete for a regular spot.
Former Magpies midfielder Elliot, who is now temporary manager of United’s National League rivals Gateshead, feels Howe does not need to look beyond Dubravka and believes the Slovakia international’s ability and experience will help him cope with the pressure in Pope’s absence.
“Martin ticks all of the boxes for me,” he told NewcastleWorld. If you put his CV down and then look for a replacement for Popey, it will have to be someone with a very serious CV to compete with Martin. He has international experience, Premier League experience, he knows the club, how they play, the culture, and he has bought into it all.
“I don’t see much of a problem for me. Yes, Popey has been fantastic since his arrival. But when you’ve got someone like Martin on your side, he’s there for a reason. He’s there in case someone gets hurt and to keep pushing while everyone is healthy. Eddie has made every decision correctly since joining the club, and I don’t think it’s as big of a deal as some are making it out to be. Do you want Nick Pope to play? Of course you would, but if you have Martin Dubravka ready to come in, I think I’ll be satisfied.”
Howe pondered on the decision to sign Pope in the summer of 2022, revealing that it was made to create a team and increase the depth of his alternatives between the sticks.
Elliot, who previously worked with Pope and Dubravka, believes his former club was correct to bring in the England international, but believes Dubravka can prove his worth again as his side looks to advance in a number of competitions.
“What we need to understand with Martin is that there was an opportunity to bring in Nick Pope for a very low deal,” he stated. He’s statistically and subjectively among the top two or three Premier League goalkeepers in every category.
“They had no choice but to bring Popey in because it was a fantastic opportunity to sign a top goalkeeper for a reasonable fee.” Martin, on the other hand, has done nothing wrong; he has been terrific when he has come in, and he was excellent at Manchester United in the Carabao Cup and at Chelsea on the final day of last season. He’s been fantastic for Slovakia in their (Euro 2024) qualification campaign, and he’s got a lot of experience.”
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