‘Really, really unfortunate’: Liverpool told 27-year-old won’t start v Manchester United

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Mark Lawrenson thinks Naby Keita won’t start for Liverpool against Manchester United at Anfield because he ‘can’t string four or five really good games together’, as he told Off the Ball.

The Anfield legend added that Jordan Henderson will be the one to start for Liverpool in the middle of the park instead because he will provide that ‘energy’ and be that ‘driving’ force from the middle of the park.

Keita started in midfield on Saturday when the Reds beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final – Thiago Alcantara and Fabinho were the other two to partner him.

Given that Jurgen Klopp has had to deal with a heavy fixture load since domestic football returned from the international break, and will continue to do so in the coming weeks, he has rotated his team a lot.

And Lawrenson thinks the man with the Liverpool armband will return tonight and thinks Keita is just ‘really, really unfortunate’.

“I don’t think he will start Keita,” said Lawrenson. “I think Henderson comes back in. Legs, basically. Energy. Driving from midfield. All those kinds of things.

“Keita had a very good game at the weekend. He can’t unfortunately string four or five really good games together, that’s been his problem. He gets injuries and stuff, then seems to be out for quite a long time.

“That’s it (Keita needing to prove he can go 10-15 games on the bounce). You know there is a player in there. I think Klopp’s always said there is a player in there.

“He keeps playing him thinking he will just have this run where Liverpool suddenly realise the ability of the player they signed all those years ago. He is just one of those that is really, really unfortunate. He’s never really had a consistent run in the team.”

Keita has been on Merseyside for four years now and he has struggled to become a regular member of the midfield.

The 27-year-old just hasn’t been able to string those performances together or stay out of the treatment room.

But, during this campaign, he has been one of the club’s most improved players, alongside producing his best football since coming to England.

It needs to be remembered that he opened the scoring during the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, so he will have fond memories of that moment heading into tonight’s match.