Derby day is almost here and Newcastle’s preparations will be stepping up as we speak, having returned from Germany in the early hours of ...
Derby day is almost here and Newcastle’s preparations will be stepping up as we speak, having returned from Germany in the early hours of Thursday morning after our 2-2 draw at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Eddie Howe has some big calls to make, with tough choices in midfield after Lewis Miley’s brilliant cameo and options out wide now Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes have both been back fit and firing in recent weeks.
But one call that may be heavily dependent on fitness is the goalkeeper department, as Nick Pope pushes to return from a groin injury that’s seen him miss our last four games.
However, according to The Mail’s Craig Hope, there is now a ‘strong chance’ Pope takes Aaron Ramsdale’s spot in goal should he pass a fitness test, with Howe giving ‘serious consideration’ to recalling his No 1.
Pope must prove his fitness in the next 48 hours, but this line from Hope suggests that the former Burnley stopper now has every chance of being fit:
‘The word all week has been that Pope has a good chance of recovering from a groin problem in time for the trip to Wearside.’
Interestingly, Hope also states that there was a belief behind the scenes that Pope would’ve started at Everton had he not picked up that groin issue ahead of the game, showing he retains the full backing of Howe despite his recent wobble.
He also reports that Joelinton is expected to be OK for Sunday despite feeling his groin in midweek, but Sven Botman, Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Will Osula all remain sidelined.
Back to goalkeepers, Ramsdale probably deserved his chance after doing little wrong in his previous cup outings. However, he’s looks small, reluctant to sweep up and unable to command his box in recent games, which could be a big issue against a tall Sunderland side who will throw balls into the box at any given opportunity.
If Pope’s fit, I’d like to see him come back in, and it sounds like Howe is thinking along the same lines.
COMMENTS