Newcastle United learn extent of fresh injury just hours before Tottenham Hotspur clash.
NewcastleWorld Essential: Your weekly round-up packed with everything you need to know from our great city.
Sign up
Thank you for signing up!
Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NewcastleWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
Submitting...
Newcastle United are set to be without goalkeeper Nick Pope until Boxing Day.
Following a series of recent errors in defeats to Brentford, West Ham United and Marseille, head coach Eddie Howe faced loud calls from supporters to drop Pope and instate Aaron Ramsdale.
And in the end, Howe ultimately had the decision taken out of his hands. Pope sustained a groin injury in training on Friday, which saw Ramsdale play his part in the 4-1 win at Everton on Saturday.
Newcastle United learn extent of Nick Pope’s groin injury
Ramsdale is set to continue in goal for tonight’s Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, as well as upcoming matches against Burnley, Bayer Leverkusen, Sunderland, Fulham and Chelsea as Pope recovers from injury.
The 33-year-old visited a specialist early this week and according to Sky Sports News’ Keith Downie was told a recovery time of three weeks. It is hoped Pope will be back in the squad for the visit to Manchester United on Boxing Day.
Discussing Pope on Monday, Howe said: “I can't speak highly enough of Nick. Since I've worked with him, I think he's been outstanding, not just as a goalkeeper because you see the product, but as a person.
“The character that he is, he's a really humorous lad, he's really vibrant and brings good energy to the group and the players see that and respect him immensely. You can see that by the fact that they voted him into the leadership group as a mark of the character that he is behind the scenes.
“His goalkeeping is second to none, he's the best shot stopper I've ever worked with and we need him back.”
Aaron Ramsdale steps up as Newcastle United’s number one
For Ramsdale, it is an opportunity to stake his claim and perhaps convince the club to sign him permanently at the end of the campaign. The 27-year-old joined on a season-long loan deal from Southampton in the summer, which includes an option to buy last summer.
Prior to his appearance at Everton at the weekend, Ramsdale had been restricted to just two starts, both of which came in the Carabao Cup against Bradford City and Tottenham, and one substitute outing when Pope was forced off at Brentford with a concussion.
Speaking after the Everton match, which also marked Ramsdale’s 250th career match, Howe said: “Nick and Aaron are very different goalkeepers. They've got different strengths, still very effective, both of them.
“ Aaron, I think, showed his qualities with the ball at his feet today. He distributed the ball very well. He wasn't overly worked necessarily in terms of shots, but what he did after handling it, I thought he did well.
“I don't think he can do much for the goal, so I think it's a good day for him and for the back four in front of him. Just a good day for the team in general, really.”