Loris Karius is back! Goalkeeper makes first Premier League appearance in six years against Arsenal as Eddie Howe explains why Martin Dubravka is absent for Newcastle

Loris Karius played in his first Premier League game in six years as he keeps goal for Newcastle against Arsenal at the Emirates.

WHAT HAPPENED?
Eddie Howe selected Karius to play in goal due to an illness being suffered by Dubravka. He has not played in the Premier League since May 2018, when he was still playing for Liverpool, and his first appearance for the Magpies came in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United last season.

WHAT HOWE SAID
Howe revealed on Dubravka: "He has not been feeling very well for a couple of days so hopefully he is on the mend."
Asked about Karius' selection, he added: "He has trained every day for a long period of time. He had a slight shoulder injury at the start of the season but since then he has been fine. He has played in games behind closed doors so he is match ready.
"The last game he played of course was the cup final so he is used to big games and at Liverpool he had many big matches so I have no doubt about his temperament and we are relying on his big-game experience."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Karius has been in the spotlight previously for all the wrong reasons, as he made two vital mistakes in the Champions League final when Liverpool lost 3-1 to Real Madrid. That was his final game for the Reds, and he was subsequently sent on loan to both Besiktas and Union Berlin, before making the move to the Magpies as an experienced back-up to the currently injured Nick Pope and Dubravka.

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WHAT NEXT?
If Dubravka's illness does not clear up, Karius will hope to play in Newcastle's next fixture, in the FA Cup against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday. Their next Premier League game comes against Wolves next weekend.

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