Loris Karius is set to make his Premier League debut tomorrow against Hull City as he has won the battle to be the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, according to the reliable Liverpool ECHO.
The £4.7million signing from Mainz hadn’t made his professional debut before the League Cup game against Derby County as he suffered an injury during the pre-season. Simon Mignolet got the chance to fight for a spot and while the Belgian did decently, Klopp has decided that Karius will now be handed the clubs on a permanent basis.
Klopp was coy when asked about who would start against Hull this weekend. He said:
“Let’s go through a few different kinds of ways in which we could see it,” he said.“Do we say okay Loris had the game against Derby. Was it a real game for a keeper? Not really so give him a home game for example. What would this mean for Simon? It could mean nothing.
“We could say there is an international break coming up so give Loris a home game and Swansea away and then both have had the chance to show what they are. It’s not in doubt, it’s not a test. It’s like in all positions, if you play and you win 2-0, you could still change the midfielder thinking we could win the next game 3-0.”
At the same time, his words clearly indicated Karius was the stronger favorite to stand between the posts. He added,“That’s possible but with a goalkeeper I accept that things seem to be a bit different. We have two very strong goalkeepers and we think about how they can perform and how their specific skills can help the team. That’s what I have to decide. I accept again the circumstances over the keeper’s position. But in the end it’s 100% positive. Liverpool FC will have a very strong goalkeeper on Saturday between the posts.”
Karius made almost 100 Bundesliga appearances before being brought to Anfield to ensure Liverpool had a defensive solidity to get through the entire season.
The former Mainz shot-stopper had looked set to start the season as Liverpool’s No 1, but an injury in the pre-season ensured he was ruled out of contention at the start of the season. Mignolet did well in his absence, and even made some really fine saves against Tottenham and Leicester. However, once Karius returned from injury, there was little doubt the German wouldn’t usurp the number one spot.
The good news for Liverpool is that they have an able deputy in the form of Mignolet, in case Karius isn’t able to prove his worth after being given enough chances, or in case of an unfortunate injury or suspension. However, Mignolet often cost Liverpool valuable points last season; therefore, the decision to use Karius once he is fit doesn’t come as a surprise.
