Newcastle United are just over 24 hours away from what will arguably be the club’s biggest game for years, with the Magpies making their return to Wembley for the first time since 1999 to take on Manchester United in the Carabao Cup showpiece.
The overwhelming excitement and anticipation ahead of tomorrow’s clash has been somewhat tempered, however, following the loss of goalkeeping colossus Nick Pope to suspension at the weekend, with the England international having inexplicably handled the ball outside of his penalty area during Sunday’s loss to Liverpool.
That moment of madness and misfortune – which culminated in an early bath for the 30-year-old – has provided manager Eddie Howe with an unwanted headache for the impending final, with understudy Martin Dubravka, who spent the first half of the season on loan at Old Trafford, also cup-tied for the meeting with the Red Devils.
As the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope pointed out, the Newcastle boss will likely be ruing his decision to allow Karl Darlow to join Hull City on deadline day, with the 45-year-old said to have been ‘not entirely comfortable’ about signing off on that temporary switch.
That goalkeeping crisis has ensured that ex-Liverpool man Loris Karius is in line to make his first appearance for the club following his free transfer arrival at the start of the season, with the only other senior option that of Mark Gillespie – who has not played for almost three years.
Karius himself, however, has also not featured since lining up for Union Berlin back in February 2021, while the German’s last outing for an English club came in that disastrous, error-strewn display in the Champions League final for the Reds back in 2018.
Having to call upon two men who may well be somewhat rusty is far from an ideal scenario for Howe, hence the potential for the Englishman to make a bold decision and look to his academy ranks to find a possible solution.
Who should start in place of Pope?
One such youngster who may be keen to throw his hat into the ring is 19-year-old starlet, Jude Smith, with the promising Scotsman having caught the eye since his move from East Fife back in August.
The one-time Celtic academy asset received notable plaudits earlier this season as a result of his bright start to life on Tyneside, having been on the receiving end of glowing praise from U21s boss, Elliot Dickman, who stated:
“From day one, when he entered the building he’s been really good. There’s been lots of stuff in training where we’re thinking wow, we’ve got some good potential here.
“The games he’s played in, the first was Norwich away he was thrown in the deep end to an extent, and even in that game he kept the score down. The other games he’s played, he’s done terrific.
“He’s come in and hit the ground running, but there’s still lots for him to learn. He hasn’t been here long in terms of how we want to play and what we want to do, and I think he’s getting there which is a credit to him and all of the staff who are around him.”
That impact has seen the Coatbridge-born stopper make 11 appearances for the Magpies’ U21 side to date – keeping two clean sheets – having started all three EFL Trophy outings earlier this season, making 12 saves and recording a solid average match rating of 7.2, as per Sofascore.
Unlike both Karius and Gillespie, the teenager has had a more recent taste of competitive action against senior opposition due to his run in that competition, as well as having made 28 appearances at first-team level for his former employers last season.
While it would prove something of a left-field choice to turn to young Smith for such a momentous occasion, the other more senior alternatives have hardly done much to warrant an inclusion themselves, hence the need for Howe to potentially take a gamble with his selection tomorrow.