Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is set to discover his future in due course after the Magpies offered him a new deal.

The Slovakia international is subject to a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Shabab. But Newcastle have so far delayed his exit from St James' Park due to Nick Pope's knee injury.

Sources in Saudi Arabia say that Dubravka was handed a 48-hour weekend ultimatum to make up his mind on the offer to sign this January or the club will move on to other targets. Dubravka's dilemma is the prospect of turning down a fortune in Saudi knowing he could be back on the bench within a fortnight on Tyneside.

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But as Chronicle Live reported on Friday, Howe said even if Dubravka stayed and played a couple more times this season that would be deemed the "right decision" from a football point of view - especially if he helps Newcastle book their place in the Carabao Cup final.

Howe has pencilled in the trip to Southampton for Pope's availability date after the knee injury he suffered in the 4-2 loss to Brentford. Howe said yesterday: "He’s not far away. He is doing well. He hasn’t trained with the group yet, that’s mainly because we haven’t had a huge amount of training days because of the amount of games we have played. He has done goalkeeper training one on one with the coaches. He has done diving, kicking, he has done the lot.

"I just think there’s a bit longer needed before his knee is fully strong enough to play. We are not looking too far away. I think probably after this intense run of games."

Dubravka will also want assurances he has the chance to fight to be number 1 between now and the end of the season if he stays on Tyneside.