Newcastle: Nick Pope out of England squad with injury

Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has reportedly had to withdraw from the England squad with injury in a blow for Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Pope picked

Pope was picked in Gareth Southgate’s original 25-man squad for the Three Lions’ upcoming fixtures for Euro 2024 qualifying during the international break.

He was chosen alongside fellow goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale from Everton and Arsenal respectively, and would have been hoping to add to the 10 senior caps that he has already earned.

The Latest: Pope withdraws with injury

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic journalist David Ornstein has since reported that Pope has had to withdraw from the squad with what has been described as a ‘minor injury’, and has been replaced by Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Fraser Forster:

“Nick Pope out of England squad for Italy + Ukraine. Newcastle keeper has minor injury & getting treatment (missed training most of last week + played with it on Fri). Replaced by Tottenham’s Fraser Forster.”

The Verdict: Big blow

It is a big blow for Pope to miss out on playing for his country with injury, and potentially for Howe too as he will be hoping that it is not serious enough to rule him out for an extended period.

He boasts the joint-most amount of clean sheets in the Premier League so far this term with 12 along with his fellow England compatriot Ramsdale, and his team have conceded the fewest goals by far with 19, as he has been ever-present this season as Howe’s established number one.

Pope has also established himself as not only one of the best goalkeepers in the top flight, but in Europe as well, ranking in the top 25% for a number of key metrics for shot-stoppers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year.

Nonetheless, he would have been hoping to knock on the door for a more regular starting place for England, but will not have a chance to show his quality in these upcoming international fixtures, while Howe knows that it will be vital to keep Pope fit for the Magpies’ run-in after.

They are currently chasing down a UEFA Champions League qualifying spot for the next campaign, and will want Pope in between the sticks for the last few games in order to give them the best possible chance of winning, otherwise they may have to rely upon the likes of Martin Dubravka and Loris Karius in his potential absence.