Newcastle goalkeeper Loris Karius could play his first Champions League game since his dreadful display in the 2018 final for Liverpool against Real Madrid – with Martin Dubravka a doubt
- The German could play his second official match for Newcastle.
- Martin Dubravka missed training on Tuesday and may not be fit for Milan
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Loris Karius could make his first Champions League appearance on Wednesday night since losing the final to Liverpool five years ago.
Newcastle’s goalkeeping crisis has deepened after number one Nick Pope was sidelined for four months with a shoulder injury and his deputy Martin Dubravka is now a doubt for the upcoming match against AC Milan.
Dubravka stood in for Pope but missed training on Tuesday and coach Eddie Howe later said it was unclear whether the Slovakian would be fit to play in the Champions League match.
Uncertainty over his fitness could see Karius make just his second appearance for the Magpies and his first in European competition since joining the club.
Refusing to rule the goalkeeper out of the game against Milan, Howe said of Dubravka’s chances in the game: “It’s a little unclear.”
Loris Karius could feature for Newcastle against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The German will play in the Champions League for the first time since a torrid evening in the Liverpool final against Real Madrid five years ago.
Karius had a terrible performance in the Champions League final for Liverpool as they lost 3-1 to Real Kyiv.
The 30-year-old made a series of high-profile errors in the match, first throwing the ball past Karim Benzema for the opening goal and then clumsily firing Gareth Bale into his own net.
He never recovered from the disappointing evening and was sent out on loan to Besiktas and Union Berlin before joining Newcastle as a free agent.
Martin Dubravka missed training on Tuesday and may not be fit for the upcoming match with Milan
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe refused to say whether Dubravka would be suitable
Liverpool replaced Karius with current goalkeeper Alisson, who has since helped them achieve success in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Meanwhile, Karius has made just one appearance for Newcastle – in the League Cup final against Manchester United last season – but is the club’s most experienced substitute since Dubravka.
Howe could also hope to make Mark Gillepsie’s Champions League debut if he chose to play the Englishman over Karius.
Newcastle need to beat Milan to keep their Champions League ambitions alive and hope Borussia Dortmund can defeat Paris Saint-Germain in the other group game.
