Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius will make his first appearance for an English club for nearly five years when the Magpies face off against Manchester United in the EFL Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

With Nick Pope suspended and former Man United loanee Martin Dubravka cup-tied, ex-Liverpool man Karius will don the gloves as he aims to banish nightmares of the 2017-18 Champions League final.

Apprehension will surely creep in for the out-of-practice German, but he will be protected by the meanest rearguard that the Premier League has had to offer this term in Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Fabian Schar and Sven Botman.

Right-back Emil Krafth is out with his ACL injury but would have never started here, and on a brighter note for Eddie Howe, Bruno Guimaraes is raring to go after completing a three-match domestic ban.

Midfield has been where the bulk of Newcastle's issues have lied recently, with Joe Willock and Joelinton both emerging as injury doubts last weekend - their absences against Liverpool led to a first Premier League start for Elliot Anderson before he was hooked for Dubravka following Pope's sending off.

However, both Joelinton and Willock have been training this week, and the former can expect to join Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff in the engine room, as Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin provide the wide threat with Anthony Gordon also cup-tied.

Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson will be engaging in a hotly-contested battle to spearhead the attack, but with the former lasting just 64 minutes in a rare start against Liverpool, regular incumbent Wilson should be given the nod for the final.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup: Karius; Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn; Longstaff, Guimaraes, Joelinton; Almiron, Wilson, Saint-Maximin

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