Newcastle United's stuttering 2024/25 Premier League campaign could be dealt another blow if their first-choice goalkeeper Nick Pope has to miss any matches through injury.
The 32-year-old has "carried a knee injury this week" according to Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe, who was speaking on the eve of the Magpies' home meeting with Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
Howe said: "Initially we thought it was nothing so I think he's seeking some specialist opinion today and then we'll see if he's available tomorrow."
Media reports have suggested Pope could be ruled out for one month, which would be unfortunate timing given Newcastle have seven matches to play in that period - five in the Premier League and one apiece in the EFL Cup and FA Cup.
Newcastle's next seven matches in all competitions
| Date | Opponent | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 14/12/2024 | Leicester (H) | Premier League |
| 18/12/2024 | Brentford (H) | EFL Cup |
| 21/12/2024 | Ipswich (A) | Premier League |
| 26/12/2024 | Aston Villa (H) | Premier League |
| 30/12/2024 | Man Utd (A) | Premier League |
| 04/01/2025 | Spurs (A) | Premier League |
| 12/01/2025 | Bromley (H) | FA Cup |
Pope's season so far
Pope has played every minute of their 15 Premier League matches in 2024/25 and has kept three clean sheets, including one against title contenders Arsenal when Howe's men beat them 1-0 on 2 November.
However, Pope and his team-mates have endured a difficult start to December, conceding seven goals in two matches as they lost 4-2 at Brentford three days after a thrilling 3-3 draw with leaders Liverpool.
Newcastle have gone four matches without a win since following up their victory over Arsenal by beating Nottingham Forest 3-1 away.
In the EFL Cup, Pope shut out high-flying Chelsea, as the Magpies triumphed 2-0 at St James' Park to book a home quarter-final encounter with Brentford next Wednesday, 18 December.
Newcastle are due to begin their FA Cup campaign on 12 January, at home to League Two club Bromley.
How Newcastle cope without Pope
If their first-choice goalkeeper is ruled out for the Leicester match and beyond, Newcastle fans could be forgiven for fearing the impact.
Opta statistics show just how pivotal Pope has been for the Magpies since his debut for the club on 6 August 2022. They concede, on average, twice as many goals when he is absent (two per match without him, compared to one per match when he is playing).
Points-wise, Newcastle earn an average of 1.8 per match when Pope is between their posts. This figure drops by half a point to 1.3 when he is not in the team.
Newcastle with and without Pope since his debut
| With Pope | Without Pope | |
| Matches | 67 | 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 33 | 9 |
| Draws | 20 | 5 |
| Losses | 14 | 10 |
| Goals for | 122 | 50 |
| Average goals for | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Goals conceded | 69 | 47 |
| Average goals conceded | 1.0 | 2.0 |
| Win ratio % | 49% | 38% |
| Points per match | 1.8 | 1.3 |
Pope's Magpies record
In just under 6,000 minutes of Premier League football, he has conceded 69 goals - an average of almost exactly one goal per match.
He has kept a clean sheet in one third of his league appearances (22 in 67) and has saved 40 per cent of the penalties he has faced (two from five).
Pope's goalkeeping statistics with Newcastle
| Statistic | Nick Pope |
| Matches | 67 |
|---|---|
| Minutes | 5,958 |
| Goals conceded | 69 |
| Clean sheets | 22 |
| Saves | 184 |
| Save % | 73% |
| Penalties faced | 5 |
| Penalties saved | 2 |
How Pope compares with other PL goalkeepers
If we look at the goalkeepers who have made a minimum of 25 Premier League appearances since Pope signed for Newcastle, only six have prevented more of the expected goals against them.
In total, Pope has conceded 67 times for Newcastle in the Premier League with his Expected Goals on Target (xGOT) conceded - a metric that measures how likely a shot will go in once it has been taken - standing at 73.
That means Pope has prevented six more goals than expected.
Liverpool's No 1 Alisson tops the list, which also includes Pope's fellow England international Jordan Pickford.
PL 'keepers who prevent most goals*
| 'Keeper | Goals conceded** | xGOT conceded | Goals prevented |
| Alisson Becker | 72 | 85 | 13.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neto | 94 | 103 | 9.3 |
| Andre Onana | 75 | 84 | 9.2 |
| Jordan Pickford | 126 | 135 | 9.1 |
| Bernd Leno | 125 | 133 | 8.1 |
| Emiliano Martinez | 100 | 107 | 7.1 |
| Nick Pope | 67 | 73 | 6.0 |
| Kepa | 45 | 51 | 5.5 |
*Minimum 25 matches played since 6 Aug 2022; **excluding own goals
Pope trails even fewer of his peers when it comes to the main currency of goalkeepers: clean sheets.
PL keepers with most clean sheets
| PL since 6 August 2022 | Matches Played | Clean Sheets |
| David Raya | 85 | 33 |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Pickford | 89 | 26 |
| Alisson Becker | 71 | 25 |
| Ederson | 80 | 23 |
| Nick Pope | 67 | 22 |
Pope's possible replacements
If Pope is rendered unable to play for the first time this season, he would almost certainly be replaced by Martin Dubravka, who actually wears the club's No 1 shirt (Pope wears 22).
When Pope was rested completely for the EFL Cup win over Wimbledon at St James' Park on 1 October, Dubravka played while former Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy provided cover as an unused substitute.
More notably, Dubravka made 23 Premier League appearances last season, between December and the final day of the season, after Pope suffered a shoulder injury around this time last year.
