Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to drop Loris Karius in favour Simon Mignolet in goal against Middlesbrough
Loris Karius has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after a string of high-profile blunders
JURGEN KLOPP is set to haul Loris Karius out of the firing line at Middlesbrough tonight.
The Liverpool chief has opted to give the under-fire German keeper a break and recall Simon Mignolet, after two high-profile blunders in the last two games.
Karius, 23 dropped a clanger at Bournemouth a fortnight ago which gifted the Cherries a last-gasp winner.
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And on Sunday he was blamed for BOTH West Ham goals in the 2-2 Anfield draw.
First he got a full hand on Dimitri Payet’s free kick but couldn’t keep it out, and was then hesitant in allowing Michail Antonio to sneak a breakaway second.
Klopp had launched a fierce defence of the £4.7 million summer buy from Mainz, after strong criticism from Kop old boy Jamie Carragher and both Phil and Gary Neville in particular.
He was initially planning to stick with him for this evening’s game, which has become something of a must-win fixture to keep the title charge on track after just one point from the last six available.
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But the Kop boss has gradually come round to believing that recalling Belgian international Mignolet would be the best course of action, and giving Karius a break from the spotlight.
Mignolet, 28, began the season as Liverpool’s keeper, after Karius suffered a broken hand during the pre-season trip to America.
Despite losing just one of the six games in which he appeared – and he was blameless for both goals at Burnley in a shock August loss – he was axed when the new signing was fit.
Since then Mignolet has played just two matches, in the EFL Cup wins over Spurs and Leeds.
Yet he will now get the job at Boro knowing a good performance could re-establish him for the hectic Christmas period – with Monday’s Merseyside derby at Everton following tonight’s game.