When Newcastle think Nick Pope could return from shoulder injury

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It could be a long time before we see Nick Pope play for Newcastle United again.

The goalkeeper was forced off with a shoulder injury during the Magpies’ 1-0 win over Manchester United at St James’ Park, hurting himself after diving to save a rare shot from the Red Devils.

Nick Pope quickly signalled that he was in trouble, which led to him being substituted. Martin Dubravka came on in his place and saw out the victory, and he looks set to be Newcastle’s number one goalkeeper for the foreseeable future.

The Telegraph have reported that the 31-year-old could be out of action for between four and five months, after Eddie Howe stated that the England international might need surgery.

It looks like that is going to be the case, meaning Newcastle’s ongoing injury crisis has just got even worse.

Pope is going to be a long-term absentee, but his season might not be over.

Nick Pope could play for Newcastle again this season

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are hopeful that Pope can play again this season despite his shoulder injury. They state that he will undergo scans in the next couple of days, with surgery looking likely.

But there is optimism that he might play again during the 2023/24 campaign. The club reportedly hope that his season is not over, but it does look like he is at least going to miss most of our remaining games.

If he is out of action for five months, he will not be fit again until early May. That could perhaps mean he has a chance of featuring in our final few games.

Newcastle’s last Premier League game of the season is on May 19th, away to Brentford.

Whether Pope returns in time or not, Martin Dubravka is going to be our number one for the next few months. He will be in goal against AC Milan in the Champions League next week, and he will probably start at the Stadium Of Light for the FA Cup clash with Sunderland.

There is suddenly a lot of pressure on Dubravka’s shoulders, but he will hopefully rise to the occasion. He is an excellent goalkeeper, and now he has the chance to prove that to the Toon Army once again.