Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - April 3, 2022 Newcastle United's Mark Gillespie during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Craig Hope has claimed Mark Gillespie is available for Newcastle United next weekend despite not being in the 25-man Premier League squad.
The Lowdown: Goalkeeper crisis
Newcastle were dealt another major blow prior to their Carabao Cup final clash next weekend as Nick Pope will miss the huge game due to him picking up a red card for deliberate handball yesterday.
The Magpies are also sweating over the fitness of Joe Willock who missed the game against Liverpool due to a hamstring injury which was sustained the week before against Bournemouth.
While Willock’s absence will indeed be a huge blow if he doesn’t make the squad next week, the fact that Pope and Martin Dubravka aren’t available for the final next week is a big concern with Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie the only options for Howe.
The Latest: Karius or Gillespie to step up
Karius is the likely man to fill Pope’s boots next weekend, but boyhood fan Gillespie could make an unlikely appearance according to Hope who revealed on his YouTube channel that he’s eligible to play despite not being in Howe’s 25-man Premier League squad.
He said: (6:25) “Who will play, Karius or Gillespie? Well, Eddie said those are the two keepers who are available, Mark Gillespie is available. Of course, it’s the EFL Cup, it’s outside of the Premier League so even though he’s not registered in the league, he comes in and likely will be back up to Loris Karius.”
The Verdict: Eddie Howe has tough decisions to make
If Eddie Howe was able to have one eye on the cup final before the Liverpool game then his main selection headache would have been how does he fit Allan Saint-Maximin into the team when Bruno Guimaraes returns.
However, after Pope’s moment of madness last night, Howe must now contemplate throwing Karius in at the deep end for his Newcastle United debut at Wembley to try and help the club lift their first piece of silverware since 1969.
His other option would be to hand Gillespie – a lifelong Toon fan – a dream start on the biggest occasion in the club’s modern history despite him having made just four appearances since joining back in 2020, and although his game time he has been lacking over the years he’s been hailed over the last few months as an ‘unsung hero‘ by Dominic Scurr.
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