Naby Keita will play no part in the weekend showdown at Anfield between Liverpool FC and Manchester United, confirmed Jurgen Klopp during his pre-game interview.
The 25-year-old midfielder has often struggled with injury niggles on a recurring basis since the turn of the season and his confirmed absence for the weekend crunch clash comes as no surprise to many.
Klopp said that Keita would not be risked until the Guinean international is 100 per cent fit for on-field action, with a number of first-teamers available at the Reds gaffer’s disposal in the midfield department.
“Naby is not ready for involvement. It’s not a big thing; it’s a little bit like with other players in the past when they came back from injuries and then because of the amount of games and situation in the squad they had to play.
“Then a little injury happened again. Now we just had to put on the brake and say, ‘Let’s settle it properly.’ In the moment we have alternatives in midfield, so we really try to give him all the time he needs to get 100 per cent fit. That’s the situation, so no, he is not in contention for Sunday.”
Thiago Alcantara’s return to the fold at Anfield comes as a major boost to Klopp and Co as the Spaniard had missed a chunk of the first-team action since signing for the Merseysiders last summer.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is yet another name which has resurfaced in the matchday squads in recent weeks, with the former Arsenal man being handed a start in the latest top-flight outing for Klopp’s men against Southampton at St. Mary’s.
