With all three of the starters out in the attack, Newcastle United fans are obviously concerned about where the goals will be coming from. But, Steve Bruce has a tough lineup decision to make at the other end of the pitch, too.
Over the weekend, Bruce dropped Karl Darlow in favor of Martin Dubravka. After missing the first chunk of the season due to a foot injury, Dubravka finally made his first Premier League start against Wolves.
It was a decision that fans have been expecting as some have clamored for the club’s star goalkeeper to get his chance. While Darlow has been far from poor, there was a thought that Dubravka could give the Magpies an even better chance for clean sheets.
In his return to EPL action, Dubravka conceded a goal on a header from Ruben Neves. He was able to get a hand to it, but he couldn’t keep it out and Bruce indicated that he should have done better.
While the focus is on the attack, Steve Bruce must monitor Newcastle United’s goalkeeping position.
Then, with the match level at one, the Slovakian made a massive stop from point-blank range to secure the draw. It was the type of save that the Toon Army expects to see from their beloved goalkeeper.
The question for Bruce will be how long is Dubravka’s leash. He played pretty well on Saturday, but there was obviously some rust as he has been out of match action for so long. Unfortunately, Newcastle can’t afford to allow him to slowly work his way back into top form.
While Darlow may not be on Dubravka’s level, he has been more than serviceable this season, has cut down on his notorious howlers, and is obviously not as rusty as his position mate. It will be interesting to see if Bruce pulls the plug on Dubravka’s return if he struggles this weekend vs. West Brom with every match proving vital down the stretch.