Nick Pope remains on standby for a surprise first appearance under Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle after Ewen Jaouen picked up a hamstring injury.
Pope has spent the past four seasons as the club's number one goalkeeper but lost his place over the summer when Jaissle succeeded Eddie Howe as the club's new head coach.
The 34-year-old has been one of the Magpies' best goalkeepers of the 25th century but while his fundamental goalkeeping ability has never been in question, his ability with the ball at his feet has been.
Summer overhaul in goalkeeping department
This summer saw United move in a different direction in the goalkeeping department, with Aaron Ramsdale, John Ruddy and Max Thompson all leaving the club and Pope being demoted to third choice.
Newcastle signed Lukas Hornicek in a £25.7million deal from Braga and the Czechia international has made a seamless transition to the Premier League to establish himself as the Magpies' number one goalkeeper.
Jaouen also joined in a £24million move from Stade Reims but after picking up an ankle injury last month, Pope was recalled to the matchday squad for the last four matches.
Bayern Munich monitoring situation
Pope had been told over the summer he could move on but despite links with Celtic, Ipswich Town and Leeds United, no offers were forthcoming.
Instead, he has remained on Tyneside with his contract running out at the end of this season and there were some shock reports this week that German champions Bayern Munich were monitoring him as a possible replacement for Manuel Neuer next summer as they search for a new back-up goalkeeper to talented youngster Jonas Urbig.
In the meantime, Pope is going to be involved in the Newcastle squad for the next two months after Jaouen picked up a new injury on international duty, with a hamstring problem he picked up with France under-21s requiring surgery.
Hendrick backs former team-mate
It means Newcastle are a Hornicek injury away from an improbable Pope return to the side which seemed beyond any realms of imagination in the summer when Jaissle had a conversation with him before a pre-season win over Valencia to tell him he was surplus to requirements.
Regardless, Pope will not be happy with his current situation according to former Newcastle midfielder Jeff Hendrick, who played with Pope at Burnley, and he believes his former team-mate will have the 'itch' to play elsewhere.
"Well obviously I played with Nick," Hendrick, speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest Premier League odds, said. "I was there a year when he came in at Burnley. He was number three that first year. He wasn't happy, even though he had Tom Heaton and Paul Robinson ahead of him."
"But then eventually he got in and he became the number one ahead of Tom Heaton, Joe Hart, and Anders Lindegaard. He kept them all out."
"He's used to playing. He got into the England setup, he got his move, and I think he showed everyone how good he was at shot stopping and coming to collect the ball."
"Obviously, his size helps with that. I know there's always a thing where maybe his kicking could have been better, but we've seen that with other top keepers now."
"If he can save the team a few goals a season, it's a hard thing to do. So knowing him personally as well, he'll be happy, and I know he's a family man and it's a good club to be at, but he won't want to be sitting on the bench for all of this season."
"I think his contract runs out at the end of this season, and he'll be thirty-five then. I think he'll have that itch to be playing, especially in the last few years of his career."
Pope will be on the bench on Monday as Newcastle look to build on their positive start to the Premier League season with a trip to newly promoted Coventry City.
