A round-up of the latest Newcastle United news on Friday, December 13.
Newcastle goalkeeper situation assessed with Howe considering January change after Dubravka return
Eddie Howe may wave goodbye to one of his senior goalkeepers this month as the Newcastle United boss admits four stoppers may prove to be too many for the second half of the season. Nick Pope has firmly cemented his place in between the sticks for the foreseeable but the return of Martin Dubravka has complicated matters further down the chain.
The former Newcastle No 1 asked to cut short his Manchester United loan this month after failing to find his feet as David de Gea's Old Trafford backup. Dubravka was ushered straight back into Howe's Premier League squad for the trip to Arsenal and started from the outset in the 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup.
For Karl Darlow and Loris Karius, questions now remain over their immediate futures at the club. Mark Gillespie, who hasn't played a senior game for the Magpies in the last two seasons, also remains on the books.
READ MORE: Garang Kuol's first words after joining Hearts on loan from Newcastle United
'Wonderful' Newcastle talent tipped to make an impact by Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell
Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell believes Joe White is at the stage of his career where he's ready to make a first-team impact. The Grecians boss was speaking after signing the 20-year-old on a season-long loan last week.
The former Newcastle United U23's boss, had joked that he and White would work together, after a spell as interim U23s boss last year. The Magpies youngster has been one of the standout performers for the U21s over recent seasons and Caldwell recognised his quality straight away.
“Joe is someone I got to know when I was at Newcastle United U23s for a short period of time,” Caldwell told his club’s official site. “Straight away I noticed he was a player of real quality, he stood out and he has wonderful dribbling skills and a wonderful left foot.
Fulham boss Marco Silva slams 'dangerous' fixture list ahead of Premier League clash vs Newcastle
Fulham manager Marco Silva has said it is "really dangerous" for his players that his side have to play Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon, three days after their game against Chelsea on Thursday night.
Goals from Willian and Carlos Vinicius saw the Cottagers stun a 10-man Chelsea side, after their new loan signing Joao Felix was shown a straight red card on his debut for the club. Fulham's 2-1 win over Chelsea ended a run of 20 Premier League matches without victory against their local rivals.
Yet Silva is far from happy with the London club's fixture list as they find themselves with just two days to prepare for their trip to St James' Park.
Eddie Howe makes 'focus' demand after Newcastle United's cup heroics
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe wants his players to put thoughts of League Cup glory to one side - for now.
The Magpies were pitted against Southampton for the two-legged League Cup semi-final later this month but must first face up to both Fulham on Sunday then Crystal Palace away next Saturday night. And Howe knows that staying in the shake-up for a European place must take the priority for his players.
Reflecting on the semi-final draw, after the Saints dumped Manchester City out of the competition, Howe said: "It's a tough game, but we're just pleased to be in it. "It's a two-legged semi-final, so we're looking forward to that.
Latest Newcastle United injury news ahead of Premier League clash with Fulham
Eddie Howe has confirmed that although he has a near full squad to pick from ahead of Newcastle United vs Fulham on Sunday afternoon, there are still some tough decisions to be made regarding Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and Joelinton before kick-off.
Howe named the same side that drew 0-0 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium for Newcastle's Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Leicester City. After ringing the changes in the FA Cup, the Toon Army will be delighted to have seen such a dominating performance from their side over the Foxes.
Fulham are next opposition to make the trip to St James' Park and Marco Silva's side have demonstrated they are no pushovers following their promotion to the top flight this season. The Cottagers currently sit sixth in the Premier League and will be looking for revenge following their 4-1 defeat to Newcastle when the two teams last met back in October.
Eddie Howe offers January transfer update with 'all positions' being assessed by Newcastle chiefs
Eddie Howe insists Newcastle United are not currently bidding for players as they continue to take stock midway through the January window. The Magpies continue to be linked with a host of talent but no incoming deals are imminent on Tyneside.
Howe rubbished specific reports linking Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay with a move to St James' Park before admitting there was no other deals currently in the pipeline.
“We’re working hard at the moment on staying in contact with the market and looking at players and doing a lot of work," Howe told reporters. "We’re not imminently close to signing anybody. We’re not actively bidding for players at the moment.”
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