Five emergency loan goalkeeper options for Newcastle United

Newcastle United, 11/10 chances with Coral to finish in the top half this term, are struggling to field someone between the sticks for their next Premier League outing, a crunch Tyne-Wear derby at home to bitter rivals Sunderland.

Third-choice stopper Jak Alnwick sustained a shoulder injury in the Capital One Cup quarter-final loss at Spurs, and joins number one Tim Krul (ankle) and understudy keeper Rob Eliot (thigh) on the sidelines.

Magpies manager Alan Pardew thus has rookie teenage goalie Freddie Woodman as the only fit option currently at the St James’ Park. Although Newcastle also own Karl Darlow, he was immediately loaned back to former club Nottingham Forest for the season.

“There is no way that a 17-year-old [Woodman] should be allowed to go in goal at Premier League level,” said Pardew. And we at Coral agree, so that got us thinking who, provided the Premier League consents, could the Tyneside team sign on emergency loan?

Here’s who we came up with:

Brad Friedel
Kevin Keegan tried to sign former USA keeper Friedel during his first spell in charge of Newcastle way back in 1994, but was denied a work permit. Some 20 years later, the current Spurs third-choice stopper could be a great shout to turn to. Friedel may be 43 now, but keeps himself fit with yoga.

Steve Harper
Who better to bring back briefly than Toon Army cult hero Harper? He spent 20 years on the books up on Tyneside (1993-2013) before joining Hull City. Aged 39, he recently played first-team football at the Tigers covering for the injured Allan McGregor, keeping a clean sheet against Crystal Palace to prove he’s still got it.

Anders Lindegaard
David de Gea’s impressive form for Manchester United has left Red Devils number two Lindegaard on the bench. Capped six times for Denmark, he has obvious quality but is being kept out by an exceptional stopper. A temporary loan move to the Magpies that puts Lindegaard in the shop window for a potential January transfer somewhere to ensure regular football is an option.

Mark Schwarzer
Chelsea’s forgotten man Schwarzer has 500 Premier League games under his belt, and perhaps played his best football at Newcastle’s rivals Middlesbrough. At 42, this will likely be the last season for Australia’s most-capped player before he retries. Like Friedel, Schwarzer has vast experience and should be considered on a short-term emergency basis.