Eddie Howe's whisper to Martin Dubravka could be major Newcastle United hint for Wembley

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe will keep his goalkeeping choice ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup final a closely-guarded secret until an hour or two before the game at Wembley.

Howe's mantra on his glove men has been simple ever since Nick Pope returned from a December knee injury. He has stated that he will pick the best man for that given occasion, and he stated that was the case for the 1-0 win over West Ham last night.

The big question ahead of Sunday is who will play in goal with Howe rotating his goalkeepers once again at the London Stadium. He was keen to stress that Pope has now started three Premier League games in a row.

But what can be read into that? And have there been any assurances to Durbavka on the cup final, not least after the Slovakia star played a major role to get Newcastle to the Wembley showpiece after all?

The truth is there has been no set pattern other than Pope's trio of games lately. Pope played in the FA Cup at Birmingham but was then dropped for the Brighton game.

Dubravka lost his place after the 4-0 hiding at Man City with Pope's return up until West Ham notably below his usual high standards. However, he seemed to be back to his best levels last night.

Howe told Chronicle Live: "I was pleased with Nick (Pope), he defended his goal really well. It's a difficult call, but it's not the only one. I have difficult calls in a few positions which shows we have a good squad. The goalkeeper situation hasn't been clear because both are high class."

As Pope went down injured for a short while at West Ham, Howe pulled Dubravka close and said: "Be ready". But when asked about his selection process, Howe said: "It's the same in any position, you look for the best man in the job - you take form, training and everything into consideration. We do that for every position. We have tough calls to make.

"Everyone has to be ready because football has a way of surprising you continually. We need the whole squad focused on Sunday now and everyone has to be ready to perform."