Nick Pope is targeting a swift return to action after undergoing surgery for a long-running hand issue. The Newcastle United stopper has been playing through the pain in recent months but took advantage of the club's early Champions League qualification by bringing the planned operation forward earlier this week.
Pope will miss the season finale against Chelsea on Sunday and has also been left out of the England squad for next month's fixtures with Malta and North Macedonia. However, the 30-year-old is set to return in pre-season when the club jet out to the United States.
“I’ve had it for a couple of months,” Pope told the BBC on Wednesday. “It’s something that has been lingering and lingering. It was nice to get it sorted, everything went really well, so all positive steps.
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"It's pre season we're looking at. I'll have a good recovery time over the summer and was pleased to get it done at this time and use the off season to get some strength back into it and get the bone healed."
Pope's absence means Martin Dubravka will likely get the nod at Stamford Bridge this weekend. The Slovakian has only played 66 minutes of Premier League football this season after replacing Pope in between the sticks following his early red card against Liverpool.
Dubravka's decision to depart Newcastle for Manchester United earlier this season didn't go down well on Tyneside and the player's future will once again be up in the air this summer. The 34-year-old will no doubt be torn between leaving for regular game time and sticking around for the upcoming Champions League campaign.
"To be in Manchester was a big challenge, it is a huge club, a huge fan base, but this is my home," Dubravka said earlier this year. "I’d always given my best for Newcastle, for the fans. I stayed in the bad times, when I had opportunities to leave the club, to go for another challenge."
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