Newcastle United have already found an 'unbelievable' replacement for Nick Pope

Newcastle United have already found a replacement for long-term injury victim Nick Pope - according to former Magpies goalkeeper Rob Elliot.

The England stopper is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the closing stages of Saturday's 1-0 win against Manchester United. Magpies manager Eddie Howe revealed Pope is yet to undergo surgery in his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday night's visit to the Everton - but did confirm the former Burnley star is expected to be out of action for 'roughly around four months'.

United were linked with moves for former Manchester United keeper David De Gea and Arsenal and England stopper Aaron Ramsdale over the last 48 hours - although Howe stressed no decisions had been made over recruitment and admitted Pope's injury is a chance for his other goalkeepers to challenge for a regular place.

Former Magpies star Elliot, who is currently interim manager of United's National League neighbours Gateshead, believes Howe does not need to look beyond Dubravka and stressed the Slovakia international's ability and experience will help him cope with the expectation in Pope's absence.

He told NewcastleWorld: “Martin ticks all of the boxes for me. If you put his CV down and then look at bringing in a replacement for Popey, then it’s going to have to be someone with a very serious CV to be able to compete with Martin. He’s got international caps, he’s got strong Premier League experience, he knows the club, he knows how they play, he knows the culture, and he has bought into it all.

“For me, I don’t see too much of an issue.  Yes, Popey has been absolutely tremendous since he came in.  But when you’ve got someone like Martin there, he is here for this reason. He’s there for if someone gets injured and to keep pushing when everyone is fit.  Eddie has got every decision spot on since he’s come to the club and I don’t it’s as big an issue as some are making out. Would you want Nick Pope fit?  Of course you would - but if you have Martin Dubravka ready to step in then I think that is happy days for me.”

Magpies boss Howe reflected on the decision to sign Pope during the summer of 2022 and revealed the decision was made to build a squad and enhance the depth of his options between the sticks.

Elliot, who worked alongside Pope and Dubravka earlier in his career, has insisted his former club were right to bring in the England international but remains confident Dubravka can prove his worth once again as his side look to progress in a number of competitions.

He said: “The thing we need to understand with Martin is that there was an opportunity to bring in Nick Pope for a very cheap deal.  He’s statistically and in my eyes, he’s in the top two or three in every department among Premier League goalkeepers.

“They had to bring Popey in because it was a fantastic opportunity to sign a top goalkeeper at a reasonable price.  But Martin has done nothing wrong, he has been fantastic when he’s come in and he was excellent at Manchester United in the Carabao Cup and he did well at Chelsea on the last day of last season. He has been unbelievable for Slovakia in their (Euro 2024) qualification campaign and he’s got great experience.”