‘Unbelievable’ £10m man is the player Newcastle are missing most right now, Howe needs him asap

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Newcastle United have had so many injuries this season, with each one of them hurting Eddie Howe’s side in a different way.

The Magpies currently have no strikers. Alexander Isak is out but due back, while Callum Wilson’s season could be over. They have both endured frustrating seasons, despite scoring 22 goals between them.

Midfield has been a big issue too, with Joelinton and Joe Willock the biggest absentees. We have also been without Sandro Tonali due to suspension, and their absences have led to Lewis Miley getting more minutes than expected.

We have also been without Harvey Barnes and Sven Botman for large parts of the 2023/24 season, but Newcastle’s biggest miss right now is Nick Pope.

Newcastle are missing Nick Pope the most

Pope has not featured for Newcastle since December 2nd. We beat Man United 1-0 that day, but also witnessed Pope suffer a nasty shoulder injury.

He has since undergone surgery, and is expected to return to fitness in March.

In the meantime, Martin Dubravka has come into the side. After a slow start, he really began to find his feet back in the team.

The 35-year-old has made some spectacular saves as of late, including during the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

But despite improving, Dubravka simply can’t do what Pope can. The £10million man is an ‘unbelievable‘ goalkeeper, and had a bigger role on this Newcastle team than many realised.

The defence has looked largely disjointed since Pope’s injury. During his layoff, the Magpies have only kept three clean sheets. In total, they have conceded 30 goals since Dubravka came into the starting XI.

Unlike Pope, Dubravka does not command his area, nor is he able to rush off his line.

Pope is a dominant figure in between the sticks for Newcastle, and the back four looks so much more comfortable when he is behind them.

His absence is a key reason as to why Newcastle are struggling so much. We are conceding far too many cheap goals, and that likely won’t change until Pope returns.

We have had a lot of injury bother this season, but Pope’s layoff has proven to be an absolute nightmare, and one that Howe will hope ends as soon as possible.