Ex-Newcastle player who left club after wife complained it was too 'inconvenient' suffers major setback at new team

A former Newcastle player who left the club months after his wife claimed it was too 'inconvenient' has suffered an injury setback after signing for a new side.

Goalkeeper Loris Karius spent two seasons at St James' Park between 2022 and 2024, making two appearances.

One of those appearances was in the 2023 Carabao Cup final, with Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka ahead of him in the pecking order but both out through suspension and injury respectively.

He left the Magpies last summer after his contract expired.

His wife, Diletta Leotta, is a television presenter in Milan and, in an interview with Tuttosport in March, asked Karius to join a club in Italy.

She said: "I would be happy if he could come and play in Italy and be close to his family.

"Newcastle is very inconvenient because there are no direct flights. Neither about Paris nor about Amsterdam."

Karius managed to (hopefully) find a happy medium by signing for German Bundesliga 2 side Schalke in January.

He started life at the club as understudy to first-choice shot-stopper Justin Heekeren, but was given his chance and started four consecutive matches, earning a spot in the Bundesliga 2 Team of the Week for his debut showing.

However, he was substituted just before half-time in Schalke's 3-3 draw at Furth on March 30, having made five saves.

And the club have now confirmed that the Germany international has suffered an injury to the 'structural muscle' in his left calf, which is set to rule him out for the rest of the season.

Schalke's director of football, Youri Mulder, said: "We will support Loris as best we can in his recovery along with our medical staff.

"His injury comes at a frustrating time but his health is the most important thing."

It remains to be seen whether Karius has played his last game for the club, as his contract only runs until the end of the season.

Speaking to SPORTbible in December, the 31-year-old revealed that he chose not to sign for a team in Saudi Arabia last summer, while talks with an unnamed Italian team ultimately broke down.

While he waited for a new club during the first half of the campaign, Karius spent time with his family, and worked as a DJ - having initially taken a keen interest during the COVID-19 lockdown - at several major events, including Formula 1's United States Grand Prix in Austin.

He explained: "It didn't really make sense for me to do a third year [at Newcastle]. I don't know.

"I asked myself, 'Was I the second-choice and would I get games?' It was difficult. The coach [Eddie Howe] would have liked to keep me but all in all; the whole package didn't make sense for a third year. It made sense to move on. They were two great years but it was time for a change.

"I've spoken to teams but in the end, it didn't work out. There were advanced talks with a team in Italy but that didn't happen, which was sad at the time."