Carabao Cup

ROY KEANE is on his way back to Wembley – as a personal guest of Erik ten Hag for the Carabao cup final.The former United captain cheekily asked the manager for tickets during a pitch side interview after the Red Devils beat Nottingham Forest in the semi-final 5-0 on aggregate earlier this month.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane asked Erik ten Hag for ticketsCredit: PA
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag gave Roy Keane tickets for the Carabao Cup FinalCredit: PA
Keane won the Champions League, seven Premier League titles and four FA Cups during 12 seasons at Old Trafford.
But a fall out with Sir Alex Ferguson saw him leave the club in 2005 and since becoming a pundit he has been a vocal critic of some of the current players including Fred, Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay.
But during a pitchside interview, Keane cheekily asked Ten Hag: “Do you have any spare tickets for the final? Just two, two complimentary tickets?”
The boss laughed and said: “I can. I think so Roy. No problem.”
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A source said: “The manager promised Roy some tickets and has made sure he will get them.
“No one at the club has more than a couple to give to family and friends so it is a lovely gesture by Erik.
“He respects Roy for his incredible playing career and isn’t fazed by the directness of his punditry.”
In his 2014 book The Second Half, Keane admitted to still having a “soft spot” for United and said he had got two season tickets for him and his son.
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The Red Devils are set to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup Final on February 26.
The Manchester giants have been revived under Ten Hag following the World Cup break. More

NEWCASTLE have been dealt another blow ahead of next Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester United, with star midfielder Joelinton going off injured in the Premier League clash with Liverpool.The Toon found themselves 2-0 down to the Reds and a man light at half-time after goalkeeper Nick Pope was sent off.
Joelinton went off injured against Liverpool a WEEK before the Carabao Cup final against Man UtdCredit: Reuters
The Brazilian appeared to be clutching his right hamstringCredit: Reuters
Pope handled the ball outside the penalty area, leaving the referee little choice but to brandish a red card.
The keeper will miss next Sunday’s Cup final with Man Utd as a result of the automatic one-game suspension.
And with backup goalkeeper Martin Dubravka cup tied having played for final opponents Man Utd in the competition while on loan at Old Trafford earlier this season, Loris Karius looks to be the man who will hope to shut the Red Devils out.
But Saturday’s clash with Liverpool went from bad to worse in the second half.
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Star midfielder Joelinton was taken off injured in another blow ahead of the Wembley dust-up.
The striker-turned-midfielder wanted to carry on but the decision to take him off was made and he was replaced by Matt Ritchie.
Joelinton could still make the final should the injury turn out to not be too bad.
The player was also one booking from a suspension, and should he have carried on against the Reds and picked up a yellow, he too would have missed the final like Pope.
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In a boost to Eddie Howe, he will have Bruno Guimaraes back.
The Brazil ace, 25, has now served his three-game suspension after being sent off in the League Cup semi-final second leg against Southampton. More

NEWCASTLE look set to turn to forgotten man Loris Karius in the Carabao Cup final next Sunday after starter Nick Pope was shown a red card against Liverpool.The Toon play Manchester United at Wembley next weekend and all was looking rosey heading into the cup final with main man Bruno Guimaraes returning from a three-game suspension just in time.
Nick Pope was sent off for deliberately handling the ball outside the boxCredit: Reuters
The keeper was shown a straight red card and will be suspended for next Sunday’s finalCredit: Getty
Loris Karius is likely to be the man called upon to start the finalCredit: Getty
But Eddie Howe’s men were dealt a MASSIVE blow as starting keeper Pope was shown a straight red card in Saturday’s clash with Liverpool.
With the Reds already 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, Pope was then sent off for handling the ball well outside his penalty area.
Trying to head the ball, the England international got it all wrong and handled the ball instead.
His intervention stopped a potential third Liverpool goal being scored by Mo Salah and saw him dismissed with no complaints.
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But with Pope now suspended for the final, Toon fans quickly turned their attention to who will fill in at Wembley and realised they’d be relying on forgotten man Karius.
That’s because regular backup goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, who came on after Pope was sent off, is cup tied having played for Man Utd in the Carabao Cup earlier this season before being recalled from his loan.
Another option might have been Karl Darlow, but he was loaned to Hull in January.
Karius is yet to play for the Magpies this season, and hasn’t played a competitive game since February 2021 – a staggering gap of TWO YEARS.
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Loris Karius has a glam girlfriend in the form of Italian TV presenter Diletta LeottaCredit: Instagram @dilettaleotta
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His last game for an English club was his famously calamitous performance in the 2018 Champions League final for Liverpool – after which he never played for the club again.
One fan said on Twitter: “Karius is going to be Newcastle’s goalkeeper for the final I’m crying.”
Another tweeted: “If Pope is suspended and Dubravka cup tied, you’re not telling me that Loris Karius is going to be starting a major cup final for Newcastle I’m howling.”
One fan joked: “Karius has a good record in cup finals, right?”
Another said: “Karius man. I’m having heart palpitations.”
The ex-Liverpool keeper is loved up with LeottaCredit: The Mega Agency
Diletta has a legion of fans on her Instagram pageCredit: Instagram
Others have said that Karius will be having flashbacks to the 3-1 Champions League final loss to Real Madrid in which he made two awful clangers.
Despite that horror performance in the 2018 showpiece, his former manager Jurgen Klopp has backed his fellow countryman to come good for Newcastle.
“You can absolutely rely on him there’s no doubt about that he’s a great goalie that’s why Newcastle signed him,” Klopp said after the game.
‘But of course, unlucky for Nick Pope in that moment, really unlucky.”
Karius is currently dating stunning Italian TV presenter Diletta Leotta – but it remains to be seen whether she will be in the Wembley stands cheering on her man against Manchester United.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe wouldn’t be drawn on who would get the nod out of Karius or fourth choice keeper Mark Gillespie against the Red Devils.
But he revealed either will be ready for the occasion.
“They’ve started games away from competitive action in several friendlies and training games. I’d say they’re match ready,” Howe said after the final whistle.
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“I would have confidence in them, that’s what they’re in the squad for. They’ve both been very competitive and part of our group all season. I have full confidence.
“I feel really sorry for Nick [Pope]. It’s a very difficult one, he’s come out and slightly misjudged the ball, I suppose technically it is a handball, I don’t know the rules on the red card.” More

NICK POPE is OUT of next week’s Carabao Cup final after his crazy red card against Liverpool.The Newcastle goalkeeper came flying out of his area to rase Mo Salah to a long ball by Alisson.
Nick Pope was sent off against Liverpool in bizarre scenesCredit: Getty
He completely misjudged the ball and handled out of his areaCredit: Getty
Anthony Taylor showed the red card which rules him out of the Carabao Cup finalCredit: Reuters

But as he leapt forward to try and head it away, he completely misjudged the ball and grabbed it with his arm – before booting it away and wiping out his own defender.
Anthony Taylor had no choice but to show the red card.
And that means Pope, 30, will be slapped with a one-match domestic ban – ruling him out of the Wembley showdown with Manchester United next weekend.
Martin Dubravka came on for 20-year-old midfielder Elliot Anderson at St James’ Park with just 22 minutes played – and the Magpies already 2-0 down.
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But Dubravka, 34, cannot play in the Carabao Cup final because he is cup-tied… after featuring for the Red Devils during his Old Trafford loan spell.
Karl Darlow looks set to be unavailable because he is out on loan at Hull City.
It means Loris Karius – Liverpool’s blunder goalkeeper in the 2018 Champions League final – will likely have to go between the sticks to try and stop Marcus Rashford and co.
Toon also have former academy talent Mark Gillespie on their books with the 30-year-old yet to make a senior appearance since returning to the club from Motherwell in 2020.
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Karius, 29, has not played a competitive match since a 1-1 draw for Union Berlin during a loan spell from Anfield on February 28, 2021 – almost exactly two years before the final.
Pope conceded just one goal in five League Cup matches this season – Che Adams’ long-range strike in the semi-final – to help book Newcastle’s place in a major final for the first time since 1999. More

CASEMIRO will be available for the Carabao Cup final after Manchester United decided NOT to appeal his suspension. The Brazilian midfielder, 30, was sent off on Saturday after a VAR check revealed Casemiro had has hands around Will Hughes’ neck during a melee against Crystal Palace.
Casemiro will miss Man Utd’s next three Premier League fixturesCredit: Getty
Casemiro was dismissed for having his hands around Will Hughes neckCredit: Getty
He was then dismissed by Andre Marriner upon the advice of Video Assistant Referee Tony Harrington.
United held on to win the game 2-1 despite being down to 10 men, but Casemiro’s importance to the team cannot be overstated.
This led to Erik ten Hag and Co considering whether to appeal his red card to try and make him available for the double-header against Leeds and the fixture against Leicester.
Ten Hag admitted the club were considering an appeal, but ultimately opted against it.
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Speaking on the suspension, the Dutchman said: “Consider [appealing ban], yeah.
“Still it’s for me not the right decision but I don’t think we have a chance in a legal process.
“I always have to play with the players who are available and we have a squad, we have many good players in our squad who are also not playing in the starting XI and I have to do it. After a game I can’t say Casemiro is not there.
If the Red Devils had appealed the ban, there was a chance of Casemiro being handed a further one-match suspension.
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This would have ruled him out of the Carabao Cup final on February 26 and denied United an instrumental cog in their system against top-four rivals Newcastle.
However, Casemiro will be available to feature in the Europa League when United face off against Spanish giants Barcelona.
Furthermore, David De Gea reckons United have the perfect man in Marcel Sabitzer to replace Casemiro in the next few games.
Casemiro will only be able to play against Barcelona until the Carabao Cup final More