NICK POPE is OUT of next week’s Carabao Cup final after his crazy red card against Liverpool.
The Newcastle goalkeeper came flying out of his area to rase Mo Salah to a long ball by Alisson.
But as he leapt forward to try and head it away, he completely misjudged the ball and grabbed it with his arm – before booting it away and wiping out his own defender.
Anthony Taylor had no choice but to show the red card.
And that means Pope, 30, will be slapped with a one-match domestic ban – ruling him out of the Wembley showdown with Manchester United next weekend.
Martin Dubravka came on for 20-year-old midfielder Elliot Anderson at St James’ Park with just 22 minutes played – and the Magpies already 2-0 down.
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But Dubravka, 34, cannot play in the Carabao Cup final because he is cup-tied… after featuring for the Red Devils during his Old Trafford loan spell.
Karl Darlow looks set to be unavailable because he is out on loan at Hull City.
It means Loris Karius – Liverpool’s blunder goalkeeper in the 2018 Champions League final – will likely have to go between the sticks to try and stop Marcus Rashford and co.
Toon also have former academy talent Mark Gillespie on their books with the 30-year-old yet to make a senior appearance since returning to the club from Motherwell in 2020.
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Karius, 29, has not played a competitive match since a 1-1 draw for Union Berlin during a loan spell from Anfield on February 28, 2021 – almost exactly two years before the final.
Pope conceded just one goal in five League Cup matches this season – Che Adams’ long-range strike in the semi-final – to help book Newcastle’s place in a major final for the first time since 1999.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
