With Nick Pope suspended, Martin Dubravka cup-tied and Karl Darlow out on loan, Newcastle will be forced to start with Loris Karius in goal against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday afternoon.
For the Magpies, it is a nightmare situation. For United, it could potentially be the difference between winning and losing. England goalkeeper Pope has been in scintillating form this term, so when he was sent off against Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend, it quickly became clear that Eddie Howe had a major problem.
Dubravka, the club's second-choice goalkeeper, is ineligible to play, as he featured in the cup for Erik ten Hag's side during his loan spell earlier this season. Darlow, meanwhile, is currently on loan at Hull. Therefore, Karius, who joined Newcastle in September, but has not yet featured for the club, will make his first competitive appearance in two years at Wembley Stadium.
ALSO READ: What Erik ten Hag has told Man United squad about cup competitions
The 29-year-old shot-stopper last played a competitive game of football in February 2021 for Union Berlin against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. His lack of action has seen his name barely mentioned in recent years, but he is perhaps best remembered in England for his horror showing in the 2018 Champions League final when he was at fault for two of Real Madrid's goals in their 3-1 victory over Liverpool.
After leaving the Merseyside club, he went on to play 67 games in two seasons at Besiktas during a productive loan spell. Following his time in Turkey, he returned to his homeland with Union Berlin, but only played on five occasions. His arrival at Newcastle came as somewhat of a surprise, but in reality, he was never expected to be needed.
During his time at Anfield, Karius came up against United twice. He never got a win under his belt, but he did register a clean sheet when the two sides drew 0-0. Before his first outing against the Reds in 2016, the German goalkeeper admitted that it would be the most significant outing of his career.
Karius, though, was not nervous. He was not scared. The shot-stopper spoke of his respect for Liverpool's rivals, but insisted that the Merseyside club did not fear United.
"With all the history of both clubs, the rivalry, it's a very big match," Karius said in 2016. "It's always hard to say which is the biggest but it's a really big match. Manchester United has a good, strong team but we have a great team and we play at home.
"We have respect for them but we're not scared of them and we know we want to win the game. We'll have a good plan - or more than one plan - so we will be well prepared."
Evidently, his comments came at a time in his career when he was playing for Liverpool, and - importantly - before his nightmare evening in Kyiv in 2018. However, it does show that Karius was once confident about coming up against United. The test, for the goalkeeper, will be backing up those comments up seven years later.
Things have changed for all parties - Karius, Liverpool, Newcastle and the Reds. Yet, the prospect of the German goalkeeper playing in the cup final has dominated headlines for a reason. It is an intriguing subplot to the clash at Wembley and will be closely monitored by everyone watching on.
For Ten Hag's men, it is important not to get caught-up in Newcastle's goalkeeping dilemma, but it could certainly play a part in United winning their first trophy since 2017. Karius, meanwhile, will be desperate to make sure that isn't the case.
READ NEXT:
