He was brought to Liverpool to be the #1. Immediately after signing with Liverpool in May of 2016, Loris Karius was given the #1 jersey by Jurgen Klopp. He was Klopp's answer in goal, an apparent upgrade to Simon Mignolet. That summer, Karius started in each of Liverpool's five pre-season games in the US and only allowed one goal in those contests. All indications were that Liverpool had their answer in goal and Simon Mignolet was replaced on top of the keeper pecking order.
But then, Karius attempted to punch away the ball in the next friendly and missed. Not only did he miss, but he made contact........with his own player Dejan Lovren. The result was a fractured hand for Karius that would require surgery and keep him off the field for a couple of months. Just like that, Mignolet was back atop the depth chart and started the Premier League in goal for Liverpool that season. Klopp attempted to transition back to Karius once he was healthy but after a couple of poor outings he looked to Mignolet to steady the ship. Mignolet succeeded and finished the campaign last year as the number one.
That doesn't change the fact that Klopp always viewed Karius as Mignolet' s replacement and Liverpool's long-term answer in goal. A lot of eyes were opened when Klopp selected Karius to start the big clash at Anfield vs Arsenal before the break. Klopp at the time stated the move was simply to provide rest for Mignolet, but that was questionable as it was so early in the season and right before a 2-week break. How much rest did Mignolet need?
Now it appears that Klopp is going to use a rotation in goal and he points to the fact that he has three solid keepers and a full schedule as the reason. True, Liverpool will be busy with the addition of Champion's League play this season and it can be argued that not much separates Mignolet from Karius, or even from 3rd string Danny Ward. Karius is thought to have a higher upside than Mignolet whereas Simon Mignolet may be slightly better, or at least more consistent in their current form.
Loris Karius appears to be getting the nod ahead of the game with Sevilla, and speculation is that Klopp will use the 3 keepers depending on the competition. The rotation being discussed includes using Karius for Champion's League play, Simon Mignolet for Premier League, and perhaps Danny Ward for domestic cup play. Proponents of the strategy, and perhaps Klopp's thinking, is that all 3 keepers will see action and will understand their role in order to better be prepared, especially mentally. Those who oppose the strategy point to the need to develop a consistent back three with the keeper and two center backs and a constant rotation will prevent this from happening.
It is not the first time a club used a rotation. Barcelona used Claudio Bravo for league play and Marc-Andre ter Stegen for "cup play" including Champion's League action. Similarly to Karius, ter Stegen was viewed as the long-term answer in goal and calls for a permanent move to the #1 keeper position became prevalent. Will the same thing happen for Liverpool and Karius?
I don't see a full season of this designated goalkeeper based on the competition. More likely, Karius' play will determine the answer in net. If Karius plays well in the Champion's League and shows why Klopp brought him in, look for him to overtake Mignolet on top of the depth chart. If he stumbles in the net and makes errors, Mignolet may hold him off for another year. It seems to me that Klopp is giving Karius every opportunity to prove his worth and reclaim the number one spot, a spot that Klopp always envisioned Karius to have. Will this be the year that Loris Karius makes that a reality?