Newcastle United's Nick Pope during the match
Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope is expected to return from injury when the Premier League resumes after the international break as his injury is ‘nothing too serious’, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.
The Lowdown: Pope injured
Pope has been forced to withdraw from the England squad ahead of their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, with it emerging that the goalkeeper missed most of the side’s training sessions last week.
The shot-stopper is said to have played through the injury in Newcastle’s 2-1 victory away at Nottingham Forest last time out, so it appears he does not wish to risk aggravating the issue any further by playing for his national side.
Having made 26 appearances in the Premier League this season, the 30-year-old has well and truly cemented his place as a key part of Eddie Howe‘s side, so there would have been understandable concern when the injury news came to light, however it fortunately does not appear to be too serious.
The Latest: Dinnery’s update
In an interview with GiveMeSport, Dinnery indicated the Englishman should be fit to return for Newcastle’s important game against Manchester United at the beginning of April.
The injury expert said: “You’re looking at Pope and thinking, Pickford is number one in that team and who can Southgate bring in to support him and deputise?
“Again, nothing too serious for Newcastle supporters to worry about. It’s more of a management issue and I would expect him to return when the Premier League resumes at the beginning of April.”
The Verdict: Great news
The former Burnley man has been a key component in Newcastle’s unexpected push for the Champions League places this season, keeping a total of 12 clean sheets, the joint-highest amount of any player in the top flight.
This solidity between the sticks has been an important factor in the Magpies managing to maintain the best defensive record in the division so far this season, conceding just 19 goals, six fewer than any other Premier League side.
Newcastle are two points off the top four with two games in hand, meaning they have a great chance of securing Champions League football for next season, but they will need their best players available in the latter stages of the season.
As such, it is fantastic news that their ‘fantastic‘ goalkeeper will be available for what could be a real six-pointer against Manchester United next month, while they are also still to face tough opponents in Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Chelsea.
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