Jurgen Klopp Set to Hand Academy Goalkeepers 'Huge Opportunity' Ahead of Man Utd Pre-Season Friendly
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is set to hand a huge opportunity to goalkeeping starlets Kamil Grabara and Caoimhin Kelleher on Sunday. The Reds take on Manchester United in a pre-season friendly at the 107,000 seater Michigan Arena, and both have a chance to impress.
They've been pushing for a claim to the first team all summer, and Loris Karius' injury means that this is their chance to make it count. While Liverpool's goalkeeper situation finally seems resolve (Alisson Becker being brought in to accompany Karius and Simon Mignolet), Klopp is always looking to the future.
And it's no different with his shot stoppers, both players just 19-years-old, Sunday looks to be the biggest game of their lives - even if the match itself means nothing.
"Loris has a little tendon problem in the knee," Klopp said ahead of the game, via the club's official website. “Nothing ruptured or something like that, it’s more that it’s inflamed so we’ll have to see how that settles. It’s not a big thing, but it’s likely he will not play tomorrow. The two young boys will feature.
"It was nice for Caoimhin the other night, and Kamil will have an opportunity as well so it’s good.”
At this point in time, no one is sure on which academy keeper will start the match, but the German boss seems to be hinting at Grabara getting the nod.
"It’s a big opportunity for them," he added. "One hundred thousand people will be more than they’ve played in front of altogether so far, I think! It’s a big difference. I haven’t made a decision on who will start, but maybe Kamil because Caoimhin played the last game.
“We will see and talk about it with John Achterberg later today.”