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 make his second competitive appearance for Newcastle
• Martin Dubravka missed training on Tuesday and might not be fit for AC Milan
• Will Marcus Rashford EVER be the real deal? Listen to It’s All Kicking Off 

Loris Karius could make his first appearance in the Champions League on Wednesday night since suffering defeat in the final with Liverpool five-years ago.

Newcastle’s goalkeeper crisis has worsened with No.1 Nick Pope set for a four month absence with a shoulder injury, while his deputy Martin Dubravka is now a doubt for the upcoming match against AC Milan.

Dubravka has been standing in for Pope but missed training on Tuesday, with manager Eddie Howe later revealing it was unclear if the Slovakian would be fit for the Champions League clash.

Uncertainty around his fitness could pave the way for Karius to make just his second competitive appearance for the Magpies and first in the European competition since moving to the club. 

Refusing to rule the goalkeeper out of the Milan game, Howe said about Dubravka’s chances of playing: ‘That is slightly unclear.’

Loris Karius could start for Newcastle against AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday

The German would be making his first Champions League appearance since a torrid evening in the competition’s final for Liverpool against Real Madrid five-years ago

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Karius enjoyed a nightmare final appearance in the Champions League for Liverpool when they were beaten 3-1 by Real Madrid Kiev.

The 30-year-old made a series of high-profile mistakes in the match, first throwing the ball against Karim Benzema for the opening goal, before then fumbling Gareth Bale’s shot into his goal.

He never recovered from the disappointing evening and was shipped out on loan to both Besiktas and Union Berlin, before joining Newcastle as a free agent.

Martin Dubravka missed a training session on Tuesday and might not be fit for the upcoming AC Milan clash

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe refused to reveal whether Dubravka would be fit

Liverpool replaced Karius with current goalkeeper Alisson who has since helped them to success in the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Meanwhile, Karius has only made one competitive appearance for Newcastle, last season’s Carabao Cup final defeat against Man United, but is the club’s most experienced back-up option behind Dubravka.

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Howe could also look to hand a Champions League debut to Mark Gillepsie if he preferred to play the Englishman over Karius.

Newcastle need to beat AC Milan to keep their Champions League ambitions alive and hope Borussia Dortmund can inflict defeat on Paris Saint-Germain in the other group game. 

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