Jurgen Klopp has backed former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius to shine for Newcastle if he is selected for Sunday's EFL Cup final against Manchester United.
Karius spent six years at Anfield and joined the Magpies as cover back in the summer. The German shot-stopper clocked up 49 appearances during his time on Merseyside but is widely remembered for his calamitous performance in the 2018 Champions League final.
The 29-year-old was directly at fault for two goals in the Reds' 3-1 defeat against Real Madrid and was left in tears at the final whistle in Kyiv. Karius never featured for Liverpool again after the match and was farmed out on loan until his contract expired in the summer.
But the former Mainz man has now been thrust back into the spotlight: Nick Pope's dismissal against Liverpool at the weekend means that Karius is now highly likely to make his official Newcastle debut in Sunday's EFL Cup final against Manchester United at Wembley.
And Klopp has backed his former goalkeeper to prove his doubters wrong if he is called upon. When he was asked if Karius has the mentality to bounce back in Sunday's final, the Liverpool chief replied: "I have no doubt about that. He's a great goalie, that's why Newcastle signed him."
Fourth-choice goalkeeper Mark Gillespie could also be called upon to feature against United, with second-choice stopper Martin Dubravka cup-tied after featuring for Manchester United earlier in the season during a six-month loan stint at Old Trafford.
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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has also backed Karius to handle any scrutiny if he is selected after insisting that his big-match exposure was a major attraction for the Magpies.
"That was the reason for taking a player of his profile," Howe said of Karius after Saturday's match. "He has experience of the big games, so I've got no doubt or issue over his ability to step in."
Whoever gets the nod between the sticks for Sunday's final against Manchester United, Pope will be forced to watch on from the sidelines. The ex-Burnley ace has been in inspired form since joining Newcastle back in the summer but was shown a straight red card after he deliberately handled the ball miles outside of his area following a swift Liverpool counter-attack.
And Howe sympathised with his goalkeeper after the match, admitting that it was a shame that he would miss out on such a big game. The Newcastle boss added: "Nick's very disappointed, understandably, as we are for him. He's been magnificent this season for us and he doesn't deserve to miss the game, but it is what it is."
