Alan Shearer admits he does 'feel sorry' for Nick Pope and feels the absence of the Newcastle United goalkeeper for the Carabao Cup final will be a 'big blow'. The England international was shown a straight red card for a handball in the first-half of the Magpies' home defeat to Liverpool.
Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo fired the Reds into an early two-goal lead at St James' Park on Saturday evening, capitalising on poor defending from the hosts. Things went from bad to worse for Newcastle as Pope's attempted interception to prevent Mo Salah running through on goal led to the shot-stopper handling the ball.
Referee Anthony Taylor dismissed the summer signing, who will now serve a one-match suspension and miss the Wembley clash with Manchester United. Shearer does not dispute the red card itself, but feels sympathy for Pope who he described as the Magpies' 'best player this season'.
