Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is set to make his Newcastle United debut this Sunday in the Carabao cup final against Manchester United.
The news comes after the ineligibility of first and second-choice goalkeepers Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka, as Pope’s red card against Liverpool and Dubravka’s earlier Carabao cup appearance while on loan to Final opponents Manchester United, see them both ruled out of the final.
Karius, who has played just over seventy games while on loan to Besiktas and Union Berlin after his infamous Champions League final display against Real Madrid in 2018, is in a good mindset going into the final, according to Newcastle manager Eddie Howe:
“He’s a very likeable, laid-back character, I’ve got no doubts on his confidence levels, he seems very relaxed and excited about what lays ahead.”
Having missed out on any credible run of game time before signing with The Magpies, Loris has had to rely on training with the rest of the goalkeeping squad to stay physically and mentally fit, although Howe believes he is ready to make his Newcastle debut:
“He started where he hadn’t had a lot of work before joining us, he’s trained with our goalkeeper coaches in a really good way, his general performances in training have improved as he’s spent more time with us, and I think he’s in a good space and ready to play.”
His likely inclusion into Newcastle’s starting eleven for the cup final comes after Nick Popes’ untimely red card against Liverpool last weekend, where he handled the ball outside of his box.
Having started all twenty-three league games this season and playing a vital role in helping The Geordies challenge for the top-four all season, Pope will be disappointed to miss out on such an important game.
Speaking after their two-nil defeat at home to Liverpool, Eddie Howe spoke about his disappointment for the goalkeeper’s dismissal:
“He’s really disappointed, understandably, as we are for him, he’s been magnificent for us this season, he doesn’t deserve to miss the game, but it is what it is, we’ll what our options are. But we have Lorius (Karius) and Mark (Gillespie), who have trained really well this season, they’ve been a part of the goalkeeping team all season and they’re both fit and ready to play.”
While it’s a devastating turn of events for usual starter Nick Pope, the Carabao Cup final against a Manchester United outfit, who are coming off the back of their Europa Cup victory over Barcelona, gives third-choice Karius an opportunity at redemption after his costly Champions League final performance just under five years ago.
Liam McMahon 