EDDIE HOWE is hoping Martin Dubravka agrees to remain at St James’ Park this summer as he insists he does not want to lose the Slovakian shot-stopper.

With Nick Pope having undergone hand surgery earlier this week, Dubravka is set to make his first league start of the season when Newcastle United play their final game of the campaign at Chelsea on Sunday.

Having lost his place in the starting line-up following Pope’s arrival on Tyneside last summer, Dubravka opted to join Manchester United on loan for the first half of the season, only to return to St James’ Park in January when he failed to force his way into the first-team frame at Old Trafford.

His opportunities with the Magpies have been similarly limited since, with Pope firmly established as Newcastle’s number one, so while he is contracted until the summer of 2025, the 34-year-old could well look to engineer a move away from the North-East this summer.

Howe hopes that is not the case, valuing Dubravka’s status as an extremely experienced number two at a time when Loris Karius and Mark Gillespie are both set to leave this summer as free agents.

“I very much hope his (Dubravka) future is here,” said the Newcastle head coach. “I rate Martin very highly, I always have done.

“It was just that last summer we had the opportunity to recruit Nick, and Nick has done incredibly well so it’s been difficult for Martin to get the game time that he wants.

“We need as good a squad as we can have going into a season where we’re going to have loads of games, so if Martin were to stay, I think he’d get a lot of football.”

Pope’s surgery was always planned to take place as soon as Newcastle’s season was effectively at an end, with Howe revealing that the England international has played through the pain barrier to overcome a number of different finger issues this term.

“That was always the plan,” he said. “We were always hoping that we could get the operation done before the end of the season to give him the best chance of recovering as quickly as possible for next season.

“He’s played through various finger dislocations this year – I think he’s suffered three or four, whether that’s in training or in a game – but he’s always got on with it and made himself available.

“He’s not really missed training because of it, but it’s a problem we knew needed clearing up for his own benefit, so we’re delighted it’s done and he’s got the extra week.”