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Carver Backs Jak
Written by Newcastle Utd
Caretaker boss John Carver has praised rookie goalkeeper Jak Alnwick for the character he showed at Leicester on Saturday
By Dan King - Newcastle United Digital Editor
Caretaker manager John Carver has praised young goalkeeper Jak Alnwick for the character he showed at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
The 21-year-old shot-stopper could do nothing to prevent Leonardo Ulloa from scoring the only goal of the game for Leicester but made some excellent saves against the Foxes - including a stunning stop to deny Chris Wood from point-blank range in the second half.
Newcastle's number one Tim Krul - who hasn't played since the win over Queens Park Rangers in late November - is making good progress in his recovery from an ankle injury and could return for the trip to league leaders Chelsea at the weekend.
Alnwick has conceded 19 goals in eight games since making a memorable Magpies debut as a half-time substitute in the 2-1 win against Jose Mourinho's side at the beginning of December, and Carver told nufcTV: "He's had a bit of a tough time with the goals that we've conceded and I've felt a little bit sorry for Jak, but he's been a strong lad.
"He's stood up to it. It's not easy when you're a young lad and you've got to be able to deal with the pressure, because it takes a special type of player to play at this football club and if you can't handle the pressure of the 52,000 every other week then you'll not survive here."
Carver handed debuts to Slovakian defender Lubo Satka and North Shields-born teenager Callum Roberts in the FA Cup third round tie.
"What we had to do was bring some young lads in to gain experience," he explained. "This is all valuable experience for the future of this football club.
"And I think they'll benefit from playing in a difficult environment."
Click here to watch the full nufcTV interview with John Carver