Eddie Howe facing ‘impossible’ £14m Newcastle United decision ahead of Arsenal and Fulham games

Newcastle United have won nine of their last ten matches in all competitions, with defeat against Bournemouth last time out the only blemish on that perfect record. Those ten games have seen Dubravka start in goal for the Magpies, with Pope sidelined after picking up a knee injury during their defeat against Brentford last month.

Since Pope’s injury, Newcastle, with Dubravka in goal, have kept six clean sheets - including five in the Premier League and one away at the Emirates Stadium in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal. Dubravka, therefore, would seem the obvious choice to continue as starting goalkeeper even when Pope makes his return from injury.

However, it may not necessarily be a straightforward choice for Howe. Pope’s injury in December 2023 - one that had him sidelined for over four months - was a huge factor in Newcastle’s failure to qualify for European football.

Before his dislocated shoulder, Newcastle enjoyed a solid defensive record having conceded just 14 goals in the Premier League - with only the three teams above them enjoying a better defensive record. They would go on to concede a further 48 goals in just 24 games with eight teams conceding fewer than them by the time the season concluded.

Much like Newcastle’s renaissance this season cannot be solely placed at the door of Dubravka’s return to the team, Pope’s absence wasn’t the root cause for last season’s defensive issues, but it did play a big part. However, it cannot be denied that this season, the Magpies have looked better defensively with Dubravka starting and have reaped the benefits of the Slovakian being better with the ball at his feet than the former Burnley man.

Howe may be able to kick this dilemma down the road until Pope is deemed fit enough to return to action, but with games against Fulham and Arsenal to come in what could be a crucial week in both league and cup action at the beginning of February, it is a decision that the head coach knows is coming - and one that could have a huge bearing on how the second half of the season unfolds.