“Dubravka Misses Out Due to Concussion as Newcastle Prepares for Tottenham Showdown”
Newcastle’s goalkeeper, Martin Dubravka, has missed the last two matches due to a concussion. In his absence, summer signing John Ruddy has been called up to the bench for games against AFC Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
The club is adhering to the required concussion protocols, which mandate that players must wait at least six days before returning to play. However, symptoms can sometimes last longer, potentially delaying a player’s comeback.
Head coach Eddie Howe revealed that Dubravka sustained the injury during a training ground collision and expressed hope that the goalkeeper would be fit for selection soon.
“He suffered a concussion during a training session, and we’ve been monitoring him closely,” Howe said. “We’re hopeful that he will be fully fit and ready to return soon.”
Newcastle is set to play Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park on Sunday, aiming to maintain their unbeaten start to the season. Dubravka was in goal for the teams’ previous meeting in April, where he kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 victory. The Magpies now have five senior goalkeepers under contract following the arrivals of Ruddy and Odysseas Vlachodimos this summer.
Though one goalkeeper may be excluded from Newcastle’s 25-man squad, which will be finalized next week, Howe remains satisfied with the depth.
“Our goalkeeper situation is in good shape,” he said. “We have a strong group of goalkeepers, and they’re challenging each other every day.”