Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed that midfielder Naby Keita will not be fit enough to face Manchester United on Sunday.
Klopp reveals all
The 25-year-old has had a career in England that has been riddled with injuries and fitness issues – ever since his £48m move from RB Leipzig in 2018.
During that timeframe, Keita has scored seven goals and provided four assists in just 71 appearances (TransferMarkt) – a really low amount of games considering he is now into his third season.
[freshpress-quiz id=”333244″]
Speaking in his pre-match press conference (via Caoimhe O’Neill), Klopp stated that Keita will not be fit in time to face their arch-rivals on Sunday, but added that it is “not a big thing” concerning the severity of his latest setback.
The Guinea international, who earns £120k-per-week (spotrac) at Liverpool, has missed a total of 35 games due to various setbacks and will continue to watch the action; rather than be part of it.
Transfer Tavern Verdict
While it may be another cruel blow for Klopp, it appeared that the German tactician said it in such a way that he won’t spend much longer in the treatment room, which is a good sign.
Despite this, supporters have been growing more and more frustrated with his lack of development under Klopp, due to the bit-part role that he is playing.
But the boss has provided a silver lining that may provide an ounce of reassurance – time will tell whether he can remain fit until the end of the season.
In other news, Journalist reveals Virgil van Dijk could feature again before the end of the season.
