Loris Karius to start for Liverpool in Champions League clash with Sevilla says boss Jurgen Klopp
LORIS KARIUS will start for Liverpool in their Champions League opener against Sevilla as Jurgen Klopp decides to gamble on his young goalkeeper.
Karius has played just 90 minutes of first team football since January after being dropped following a series of blunders.
But Klopp has told the 24-year-old he will be in the side when the Reds begin their Group E campaign at Anfield tonight.
And he defended his decision even though it casts doubt over his pre-season claims Simon Mignolet would be the first choice keeper ahead of Karius and Danny Ward.
Klopp was asked if choosing to start with Karius meant Mignolet was no longer his No1, the Liverpool boss said: "Look, I can't believe... I'm not sure if this is your job to ask this question.
"But no, it doesn't mean that - and please don't do that. Of course not.
"The situation I can say with absolute truth. If we have Simon as No1 and play the other goalkeepers not once through the year.
"If they train bad they don't deserve a game, but they both train really well, they keep the level really high.
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"If we don't give them a game then every year we have to find a new number two who is 33, still able to catch a few balls and doesn't want to play anymore.
"That's really difficult to find someone like that.
"I prefer having a group of good goalkeepers, and that means you have to change things.
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"The game against Arsenal when Loris played was exactly how I said.
"Could he prove something? I think he did. He was very cool with the ball, I know for some people too cool with the ball but that can happen with no rhythm.
"So now he has had the game and it helped him a lot, us also, and now he will start.
"That's the plan, not to keep them happy. No, to use the quality of the goalkeepers and that's how it is, to keep them all together and they will decide with the performance who will play."
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