Newcastle United and England goalkeeper Nick Pope requires shoulder surgery and is expected to be out for four months.
The 31-year-old dislocated his shoulder when he dived to make a save during the closing stages of Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday.
Manager Eddie Howe said there is “still a chance” Pope could return before next summer’s European Championships.
“He’s naturally down because we’ve got huge games coming up and he’s got the Euros ahead of him,” Howe said.
“We’re thinking of him because it’s another strange injury for us. There’s no doubt he needs an operation so he will be out for a while, we think around four months.” Reported by BBC
Pope, who joined Newcastle for an undisclosed fee in June 2022, joins striker Callum Wilson, winger Harvey Barnes, midfielders Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock, and defenders Sven Botman and Dan Burn among the club’s injury concerns.
The former Burnley goalkeeper had played every minute of Newcastle’s Premier League and Champions League campaigns this season.
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But he had to be replaced by Slovakia international Martin Dubravka after 86 minutes at St James’ Park having been unable to continue.
Following his injury it was reported that Newcastle could use the January transfer window to replace Pope, with former Manchester United goalkeeper and current free agent David de Gea said to be interested in a move.
“We have not made any inquiries. If we were to recruit now we’d be recruiting in every area on the pitch. It’s a chance for the other keepers to consolidate their positions.”
“We are at the stage of the season where there are so many huge games coming up,” added Howe.
“But I think his main determination is to come back for us. You never know what situation we will be in at that stage of the season.”
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