Ben Foster is ‘so sorry’ for Nick Pope following the Newcastle United goalkeeper’s red card against Liverpool. He will now miss Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester United.
The Magpies travel to Wembley this weekend for their first cup final since 1999. The Toon are also chasing their first major trophy since lifting the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1969. But Newcastle boss Eddie Howe must do so without his number one with Pope suspended.
Referee Anthony Taylor gave Pope a straight red card 22 minutes into Newcastle’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool last Saturday. The Reds already led the Toon by two goals at St James’ Park as the 30-year-old left the pitch. Darwin Nunez (10’) and Cody Gakpo (17’) had fired home.
Taylor had no choice but to issue Pope his marching orders after the shot-stopper handled the ball 25 yards out. The £100k-a-week ace charged out of his area to intercept a long ball by Allison Becker to Mohamed Salah. But he failed to make contact with his diving header.
Alisson sought to send Salah clean through on goal after collecting an overhit free-kick into the Reds’ area. Pope had to intercept the goalkeeper’s pass to prevent the winger from an easy shot. Yet he would scoop the ball with his arm once on the ground to stop the break.
Foster is ‘so sorry’ for Pope as the red card rules him out of Newcastle’s cup final
Foster feels Pope’s handball against Liverpool was an instinctive reaction by the Newcastle goalkeeper. He is also gutted for the 10-cap England international that the red card means he now misses Sunday’s Carabao Cup final. It is the only game that Pope must now sit out.
“I saw Nick Pope get sent off at the weekend and I feel so sorry for him,” Foster has told talkSPORT. “It’s horrible. It’s a natural goalkeeping instinct.
“I know he’s missed his header. But as soon as the ball touches his hands, he can’t help but want to bring it into a nice warm space and give it some love. I felt so bad for him. But I didn’t realise he was going to miss the cup final.”
Pope has been sensational since the shot-stopper signed for Newcastle in a £12m transfer from Burnley last June. The Soham-born star has conceded just 16 goals through 28 games in all competitions. He has also kept 16 clean sheets through his outings with the Magpies.
Four of his clean sheets have further come through five Carabao Cup ties to help Howe get the Toon to the final. While Pope’s 12 clean sheets in 23 Premier League games to only 15 goals conceded are a division-high. Manchester United ace David de Gea is second on 10.
But Pope could have no arguments with his red card against Liverpool which now rules the Newcastle star out of the Carabao Cup final with Manchester United. Although he can feel aggrieved that a suspension from a Premier League game carries into another competition.
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