Jak Alnwick keeps Newcastle place despite heavy defeats - 7M sport

Jak Alnwick keeps Newcastle place despite heavy defeats



Posted Friday, December 19, 2014 by theguardian.com

· Newcastle had considered emergency loan before fitness test
· Jak Alnwick injured a shoulder in 4-0 defeat to Tottenham

Jak Alnwick keeps Newcastle place despite heavy defeats
Jak Alnwick hurt a shoulder in Newcastle‘s 4-0 defeat at Spurs in the Capital One Cup.

Jak Alnwick will retain his place in goal for Newcastle United against Sunderland at St James' Park on Sunday after being passed fit by the club's medical staff.

Alan Pardew's third-choice keeper, who has conceded eight goals in his last two games, suffered a shoulder injury during Wednesday night's 4-0 Capital One Cup quarter final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.

With his fourth choice, Freddie Woodman, only 17, Newcastle's manager had been poised to make a renewed attempt to persuade the Premier League to allow him to borrow a goalkeeper from another club under the emergency loan system.

Injuries to Tim Krul and Rob Elliot - expected to sideline them until late January - prompted Newcastle to explore the possibility of such a loan with Pardew reputedly keen on Wigan's Ali al-Habsi as temporary cover.

This proved a non-starter because as, long as Alnwick is fit, such an approach would be automatically rejected on the grounds that Newcastle also have Woodman and Karl Darlow on their books, even though the latter is on a season-long loan at Nottingham Forest. The fact Woodman is only 17 does not count as he has already signed a professional contract.

Alnwick impressed on his debut - when he replaced Elliot at half time at home to Chelsea a fortnight ago and shone in a 2-1 Newcastle win - but struggled during the subsequent Premier League trip to Arsenal and Cup game at Spurs.

Alnwick, who was born in Hexham, grew up as a Newcastle fan but he was part of Sunderland's academy before switching to St James' in 2008. With his former club having won their last three Tyne-Wear derbies against Pardew's team, Sunday promises to be a difficult day for a keeper literally thrown in at the deep end.

Meanwhile, Hatem Ben Arfa is set for a January move after finding himself unwanted at Newcastle and Hull. The 27-year-old is set for a transfer after Pardew said he did not want to take him back from his loan at Hull, where the manager Steve Bruce has written him out of his plans.

His agent Michel Ouzaine told 20minutes.fr: "There are a lot of clubs interested in him, despite everything that has been said. He will have a new club in January, that won't be a problem, don't you worry."

Ben Arfa has played just nine times for Hull since his loan move from the Magpies and Bruce admitted on Thursday that the relationship between player and club had almost certainly run its course.

He denied media reports of a row with Ben Arfa, but is understood to be dismayed by the midfielder's lack of work ethic - in training and in matches. "If he decides to stay in France that's up to him, there's only 10 days until the window opens and I think it's fair to say he's probably played his last game for Hull," said Bruce.

"He didn't deserve to be in the team on merit. It's my job to pick a team which I think will win a game on the Saturday. All this reported bust-up and the rest of it ... I think you want to make that story.

"What I've said to Ben Arfa is unfortunately I wasn't going to accept a performance like I saw from him against Manchester United. It's up to him to force himself back into the squad, that's the way it is. Sometimes transfers don't work, especially with a loan deal. Sometimes they can be the best thing for the player and the club. Unfortunately it hasn't worked out. I wish him the best of luck. I hope he goes on to have the career his talent deserves, that's all I've got to say on the matter."



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