Roy Keane and Gary Neville agree on Loris Karius as ex-Liverpool goalkeeper ready for Newcastle’s big moment

Roy Keane and Gary Neville agree on Loris Karius as ex-Liverpool goalkeeper ready for Newcastle’s big moment

Former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius made his Newcastle United debut in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United

Roy Keane and Gary Neville have expressed concern over former Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius’s competitive advantage in his much-publicized return to the Carabao Cup final.

Manchester United took on Newcastle United with the Magpies in pursuit of their first domestic trophy since 1955. Ahead of the highlight match at Wembley, the north-eastern side were dealt a tough hand as Nick Pope was shown a straight red card against the Reds during a 2-0 defeat at St James’ Park.

Pope will miss Sunday’s cup final against the Red Devils as a result and the Newcastle manager gave Karius his first appearance for the Toon Army since arriving in the summer. Much of the lineup has focused on Karius’ lack of first-team action, as he made two costly mistakes in the 2018 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid. The 29-year-old earned his first appearance since 2021, during his spell as a Liverpool mercenary, but the former Man United duo highlighted his lack of first-team action ahead of his return.

“Goalkeepers now take part in possession sessions as they should be involved in preparation. Of course goalkeepers have had to kick in our day, but goalkeeper expectations are off the charts now,” said Neville.

“This is a big day for Karius – playing his first competitive match in a long time, the sharpness and feel of it, he’s never played Wembley before. There’s been a lot of wishing but it’s not going to happen.” Help him when he gets into that field. Keane insisted that the real focus was on his shot-stopping abilities. He added: “I wouldn’t worry about him splitting him, it’s about saving the ball and that’s the goalkeeper’s big goal.”