Newcastle Goalkeeper Nick Pope To Miss Carabao Cup Final Against Man United Next Sunday.

Newcastle United will be without first choice goalkeeper Nick Pope for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United.

Pope shown a straight card midway through the first half (22 minute) of the game against Liverpool at the St. James'Park on Saturday evening.

The England shot-stopper flew out of his goal and handballing outside the area to stop Mohamed Salah from scoring on the counter-attack following a long pass from the opposite goalkeeper Alisson.

Pope has started all 23 of Newcastle's Premier League games this season. The 30-year-old has conceded just 15 goals in the league, helping the Magpies reach fourth place in the table.

Newcastle were already 2-0 down when the incident happened, as Referee Anthony Taylor immediately showed Pope a red card, prompting manager Eddie Howe to bring on back-up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka for midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Despite having the best defensive record in the Premier League this season so far, the Magpies endured a nightmare start to the encounter at St James' Park. 

Darwin Nunez gave Liverpool the lead in the 10th minute when he controlled Trent Alexander-Arnold's defence-splitting pass and rifled past Pope.

It was 2-0 shortly after when Salah dinked a ball over the defence for Cody Gakpo to slide in his second goal for the club in the 17th minute.

Liverpool have now done the double over Newcastle this season, and remain the only team to have beaten them in the Premier League, as they move up to eighth. 

The Magpies who are yet to lose a League game since late August, are now on a four-game winless run ahead of a huge game at Wembley against Man United, on Sunday, February 26.

With Pope set to miss the Carabao Cup final because suspensions from the Premier League also count in the competition. Howe faces a serious problem for the final, which with reserve goalkeeper Martin Dubravka cup-tied because he made two appearances for the Red Devils in the earlier rounds of the competition during his loan spell at Old Trafford.

The Slovakia international only returned to Newcastle in January which leaves Howe with no choice than to make use of third-choice goalkeeper Loris Karius.

The England and former Liverpool goalkeeper, is now in line to start for the Magpies, who are looking to win their first trophy since 1955.

Karius would make his first senior appearance in two years at Wembley after signing for Newcastle in September following his release by Liverpool, and has since yet to make a single first-team appearance for the Magpies.

The 29-year-old, last played a competitive game of football in February 2021 for Union Berlin against Hoffenheim in Germany's Bundesliga.