Newcastle United official training ground update as £12m man ruled out for six weeks
Jordan Cronin
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Martin Dubravka has stepped up for Newcastle United in Nick Pope’s absence.
The 32-year-old goalkeeper sustained a knee injury during the closing stages of the Magpies’ 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7 and was given a recovery time of six weeks.
This Saturday’s Premier League clash at home to AFC Bournemouth marks exactly six weeks since Pope first picked up the issue. He is likely to miss that game and tonight’s fixture versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, but could return for the upcoming visit to Southampton.
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Providing an update a couple of days before United’s 3-1 FA Cup third round win over Bromley, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe said: “He’s not far away. He is doing well. He hasn’t trained with the group yet, that’s mainly because we haven’t had a huge amount of training days because of the amount of games we have played.
“He has done goalkeeper training one-on-one with the coaches. He has done diving, kicking, he has done the lot. I just think there’s a bit longer needed before his knee is fully strong enough to play. We are not looking too far away. I think probably after this intense run of games.”
Howe then refused to entertain a question asking if Pope remained his number one goalkeeper.
Newcastle have won all eight matches with Martin Dubravka in goal and look to have convinced the Slovakian to stay after he received an offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Shabab.
“I’m not going to answer that and you’ll understand that,” Howe replied. “Although everyone outside would perceive there’s a number and a ranking.
“When you’re in my position and this goes for all the players,. It’s always in a state of flux. It’s always changing and moving because that’s down to the player’s performances. They will always make you change your mind an they will always give you for for thought because you want players to push each other, to question your decisions, nit to yourself but in your mind.
“I think that will be the case with this, let’s wait and see.”
