Loris Karius received a rare start against Arsenal, 12 months after making his Newcastle United debut in the League Cup final against Manchester United, due to Martin Dubravka’s illness.
Before the game, Eddie Howe revealed that his number three goalkeeper, who has only played two competitive games in three years, is’ready to play’.
However, Alan Shearer had to disagree since he believes it is ‘impossible’ for Loris Karius to be in that frame of mind, as he told Premier League Productions (24/02/24 at 7:45 pm).
Given that Newcastle is relying on their preferred goalkeeper, this does not auger good for the team in any case.
Especially when they are still in awful form, leaking goals at will and falling further behind in the European rankings.
Martin Dubravka’s availability for Newcastle’s FA Cup match against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday is unknown, but ahead of the Alan Shearer derby, the man himself said that he felt’sorry’ for Loris Karius.
Loris Karius earns rare start for Newcastle United
“I understand Eddie saying that he is ready and he has played games behind closed doors,” she said.
“But it’s impossible to be prepared. You can’t play one competitive game in three years and then suddenly be 100% prepared for a game of this magnitude.
“I feel a bit sorry for him because I think he is in an impossible situation.”
Newcastle’s defensive issues
That has been the root of Newcastle’s troubles, and that is one of the main reasons why they have not performed as well as they did last season.
Sandro Tonali’s absence, injuries, and individual errors have made last season’s Champions League finish feel like a distant memory.
The Magpies’ only hope is to get to Wembley in the FA Cup and finish seventh or sixth, assuming they can put together a run.
Newcastle is seven points behind sixth-placed Manchester United, but only two points back of seventh-place Brighton.
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