Shay Given has predicted how long Newcastle United’s Nick Pope will be out for after the goalkeeper sustained a shoulder injury vs Man United.
Eddie Howe added Pope’s name to his long list of injured Newcastle players on Saturday after a huge 1-0 victory over Man United.
Former Newcastle man Shay Given revealed to The Daily Star what it was like when he suffered a similar injury and predicted that Pope will now be out for at least three months.
Given predicts Pope to be out until at least February
Newcastle have already got Jacob Murphy and Dan Burn as long-term injuries, so it will be devastating to learn the length of Pope’s time on the sidelines, which Given has described as a ‘huge blow’.
The £10m signing has often been criticised for his poor ability with the ball at his feet, but it’s safe to say that he’s more than made up for it with his performances in the last few weeks.
To have anyone out for a number of months is going to be a challenge for every team in the league, but for it to be your starting goalkeeper is a huge miss, Newcastle are just lucky that they have such experienced backup options.
Reflecting back on his time at the club, Given shared how difficult it was to deal with his shoulder injury that kept him out for three months, and now he predicts that Pope will go through a similar challenge.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Given said: “It’s a big blow. You know, going back to the game against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League, I was at the game and he was immense.
“He put in a phenomenal performance. One of the saves in the second half was just unbelievable, I thought it was a goal from where I was sitting, and somehow he managed to keep it out.
“They are going to miss him, but we saw last year when the other goalkeepers had not played all season and then [Loris] Karius is playing in the [Carabao] cup final at Wembley. So things can change really quickly in the goalkeeping department.
“Nick Pope is going to be out, I’d imagine – I’m not a doctor or a physio – but when I did my shoulder, I was out for around three months. That’s a long period, the rest of December, January and February, so it’s going to be a big miss because he makes big saves.”
Pope was in the form of his life for Newcastle
Fighting at the top end of the Premier League and putting in unbelievable performances against Europe’s elite in the Champions League, Pope was at the top of his game in the last few weeks.
As Given mentions, Pope makes big saves for Newcastle on a regular basis and they’re really going to miss that in their upcoming key games in the league and in Europe, starting with Everton on Thursday night.
It’s not confirmed, but this injury could even keep Pope out for the rest of the season, or at least the majority, if there are some complications with the healing process, a possibility that Newcastle won’t even want to consider just yet.
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