Eddie Howe has showered heaps of praise on Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka ahead of the Magpies’ visit to Goodison Park to face Everton.
The Magpies suffered a big blow last week when Nick Pope picked up a shoulder injury during the 1-0 win against Manchester United.
Howe has confirmed in the pre-match press conference that Pope will be out for at least four months. In his absence, Dubravka is expected to feature.
Dubravka spent the second half of last season on loan at Old Trafford, and Howe says that he is pinning hopes on the Slovakian goalkeeper.
Howe has hailed Dubravka as a “high-class” goalkeeper and highlights his quality of distribution. The 34-year-old goalkeeper was seen as a back-up for Pope, but now he has a big chance to cement his place in the side.
“We really believe in Martin. I have always had that high opinion of him,” said Howe, as quoted by BBC Sport.
“Martin is a high-class goalkeeper, he is a brilliant shot-stopper himself. He is very good with his feet and his distribution, so there’s no hesitation in bringing Martin into the team and I hope he does really well.”
Big few weeks ahead
In recent weeks, Newcastle have been linked with players like David de Gea and Aaron Ramsdale, but Howe has confirmed that the club have not made any inquiries, nor they have made any decision regarding signing a new goalkeeper.
It appears that Howe will probably look at how Dubravka performs in the next few weeks before deciding on whether the club should look to bring in a new keeper.
Dubravka is a hugely experienced goalkeeper and has been the first-choice at St James’ Park for a long time. He knows how to handle the pressure.
He has a contract at the club until 2025, and the door has opened for him to show his quality before Howe. If he performs well, Howe will probably not look to buy a new goalkeeper, and he would rather look to bolster other areas of the pitch.
