Karius bags the No 1 spot

JURGEN KLOPP will end his policy of rotating goalkeepers and make Loris Karius his undisputed No 1, starting with the crucial Champions League tie in Porto. Liverpool’s manager has had different goalkeepers for different competitions this season. In the first half of the campaign, Karius played in Europe while Simon Mignolet played in the league. There was a switch at the turn of the year, when Karius played in the league and Mignolet in the fourth round of the FA Cup, but there will be no change tomorrow. Karius, who starred in Liverpool’s win at Southampton on Sunday, will play in the last 16 clash and that is how it will remain for the rest of the season, with Klopp saying it is ‘no longer the same situation’. The 24-year-old’s recent form has been very good and he has Klopp’s full backing. ‘I feel good — getting weekly game time is important,’ said Karius. ‘It’s different if you play week in, week out and not just every other week.’ A spin-off of this decision, though, will be the future of Mignolet, who is 30 next month. He was devastated to lose his place in the league and he is at the stage of his career where he will not accept being a deputy.