Newcastle and England keeper Pope out for around four months with shoulder injury - Football News
Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope will be sidelined for «around four months» with a shoulder injury, manager Eddie Howe said on Wednesday as his list of absentees continued to grow.
England's Pope, who needed surgery on his same left shoulder in 2018 while a Burnley player, suffered a dislocation when diving during last weekend's 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United.
He joins Newcastle's lengthy injury list which has left Howe making very few substitutions in recent matches, with several youth-team players on the bench.
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«There's no doubt he needs an operation so he will be out for a period of time, we think around four months,» Howe told a press conference ahead of Thursday's league game at Everton.
«It's the same shoulder (as 2018 injury) but a different part of the shoulder. There was no reason for that happening.»
Media reports have linked Newcastle with both out-of-favour Arsenal 'keeper Aaron Ramsdale and former Man United number one David de Gea, who is a free agent.
But Howe was keen to play down speculation of signing a short-term replacement in January.
«I've seen a lot of the media headlines and press speculation regarding goalkeepers and other players,» said Howe.
«We've not made any enquiries or decisions regarding our recruitment leading into January and I have said many times that is because if we were to recruit now we would probably be recruiting in every position on the pitch because we have injuries everywhere throughout the squad.
»Hopefully that picture looks different by the time January comes."
Slovakian Martin Dubravka replaced Pope as a late substitute against Manchester
