Newcastle United closing in on January deal after key man ruled out for seven weeks
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Pope was given a six-week return timeframe prognosis following his knee injury picked up against Brentford. Now that six week period is up, the goalkeeper hadn’t returned to full training by Friday and has been ruled out of Saturday’s match as Newcastle eye a 10th successive win.
“I think [Bournemouth] might be a little bit too early [for Pope],” head coach Eddie Howe told The Gazette. “But certainly he's going to be close for next week [at Southampton]
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“He's not trained with us yet, but he's certainly building up to that moment, we're happy with where he is at, and I think mentally he's getting there, ready to play.”
Martin Dubravka has stepped into the side in Pope’s absence with Newcastle winning all nine matches during the goalkeeper’s spell on the sidelines. Dubravka has also kept six clean sheets in the nine-game winning run despite being heavily linked with a move away from Newcastle this month.
The 36-year-old had a deal to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab this month but Newcastle would not sanction it while Dubravka remained an important part of Howe’s starting line-up. The club have held talks with Dubravka regarding his future with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
While an extension has not been agreed at this stage, the club are confident that Dubravka will remain on Tyneside at least until the end of the season.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.